Miss Mazur
by RCap
Summary: AU: Rose Mazur resides with her father in Turkey. Being the Dhampir daughter of Abe Mazur is dangerous but her also being his business partner means she is in constant danger. Abe arranged for her to be protected by a Guardian, but when tragedy strikes and that Guardian dies protecting Rose, Abe is forced to hire a new Guardian. Guardian Dimitri Belikov. Slightly OOC
1. The Lion's Den

**Author's Note**

 _Hello readers,_

 _Please note that this story is Rated M for swearing and sex scenes. Some chapters may be triggering or have adult themes to them. I recommend that if you aren't prepared for these, that you do not progress with reading the story. Some themes are very far from the books purposely._

 _I do not own any of Richelle Mead's characters or her novel's story lines. I aim to update a chapter every week or so._

 _the story is mainly told from Dimitri's POV, but there will be a couple of chapters that will be told from Rose's POV later in the story._

 _I will also have a small cross over with one of Richelle Mead's characters from a seperate series. I always thought about how to two strong women would interact together so I hope you enjoy it when the chapter appears._

 _This is my first fan fiction and I encourage any readers to leave reviews or PM me with any constructive criticisms you feel would improve my writing or the story itself._

- _RCap_

* * *

 _Rosemarie Mazur, Turkey_.

Those three words brought my mind to a halt. Mazur! That name was extremely well known. I had heard of Rosemarie before as well. Ibrahim Mazur's daughter and partner in their business. Not much about their personal lives were known, only that there had once been three of them, Ibrahim's wife, and Rosemarie's mother. Janine.

I remember hearing about her when I was younger. Much younger. Guardian Hathaway she went by, and the stories would leave us novices in awe of her. Although Strigoi was not the Guardian's downfall, Mafia killings were strewn throughout those areas, Janine falling victim to one. The family business was not a safe one, and yet no one really knew what their business was. Everyone just came up with their own theories. Rosemarie Mazur. The name ran through my head repeatedly until I had begun imagining what she looked like.

All I knew about her was that she was the only Dhampir to have a Queen assigned Guardian. She was unpromised, but she wore molnija marks. Now that I was the Guardian for a mobster's daughter, I knew that I wouldn't just be protecting her from Strigoi; I would be protecting her from Moroi as well. The people I was trained to put first. I didn't know what I would be walking into when I reach the Mazur household. But I knew it wasn't going to be anything like Guarding Ivan.

One of Ibrahim's Guardians picked me up from the airport as we drove towards the house, which was surprisingly tucked away in the suburbs. Guardian Aaron Jarden was Ibrahim's far guard and rightfully so, having this Guardian and Ibrahim walking side by side would have stood out in any crowd.

"So" Aaron sighed, "You're from Russia huh?"

"Yeah, Russia" I sighed longingly, thinking of how much I would have preferred a charge back home

"Don't stress too much about being away from home. Rose makes a lot of business trips to Russia" he chuckled

"Really?"

"Yeah, her and Sofia would be there at least once a month" he beamed, the name Sofia not ringing any bells for me

"Uh, sorry I don't recognise the name Sofia?" I questioned,

"Oh shit, yes you wouldn't. Sofia Kaya, she is-" Aaron cut himself off, his face turning from a smile so more of a haunted look, "-was, Sofia _was_ Rose's Guardian. She was shot during an attack on Rose a few weeks ago" his hand tightened around the steering wheel, knuckles going white

"I'm sorry to hear about that. Were you and Ibrahim's other Guardian close to her?"

"Yeah, I guess, she was a lot closer to Rose though. The Queen appointed Sofia to Rose after she survived an abduction"

"Abduction?" I spluttered, "How old was she?"

"I'd say about sixteen?" Aaron murmured, "Ever since then, Abe pulls out all the stops. He got the Queen to appoint Sofia for Rose and when the Queen wouldn't appoint her at least a second Guardian he hired security from the Dhampir communities"

"Dhampir security" I muttered

"Those guys are just as good as us Belikov, only difference is the tattoo we have, and the one they don't" he said as we pulled into the driveway, adding the SUV to the many other that were scattered in the driveway and on the would have thought a Guardian raid was going on right in front of you.

"Welcome to the Lion's Den Belikov, you should fit right in" Aaron laughed as he jumped out of the black SUV and began walking up the footpath leading to the house. It was pretty much what I expected.  
Two story mansion if you want to go that far. The grand entrance was elegant, and the flowers made it look like it was extremely well tendered to. A full staff probably maintained it, because I highly doubt a man like Ibrahim Mazur would get on his knees and garden. One of the wooden double doors was already open and I could see the flurry of people inside.

"Sorry forgot to mention, there is normally a high volume of people coming in and out of the house. No matter how many times you see them, always be suspicious of them. Some of Ibrahim's closest colleagues have tried turning against him. There is a 'party' of some sorts going on now. I'll show you your quarters and then feel free to join them out back"

"That explains the street being filled with Guardian vehicles then" I muttered

"I've been Abe's Guardian for twelve years now and I _still_ haven't gotten used to all the fuss he puts into these things".

We began ascending up the grand staircase, when we reached the top of the stairs it parted to a left wing and a right wing,

"Ninety percent of the security are live-ins and they all live in the right wing" Aaron said pointing to his right, "they have it pretty good in there, multiple bathrooms, their own kitchen and stuff".

I started heading towards the right wing before Aaron stopped me,  
"Nah, we are in the left wing. We are promised Guardians and Abe prefers us nearby" he began walking down the corridor.

"This is your room" he said stopping outside the wooden door, he gestured to the door next to mine "That's Rose's room. Abe wanted you next to her",  
He pointed to the end of the hallway, "Abe is down there and Alessia and my rooms are just round that bend"

Opening the door to my room I was taken back by the size, I wasn't expecting something so big.

"You and Rose share a bathroom but. She takes ages in the shower and her makeup is everywhere"

"As long as she doesn't steal my hair ties I think we will get along fine" I chuckled

"Yeah good luck with that mate. That girl loses socks and hair ties like she's getting paid for it"

"I'll make sure to hide them then" I chuckled setting my bag down on the bed.

"Once you settle in, come down for a drink or something. You aren't on duty until tomorrow so might as well get to know everyone" he began heading out the door, "Oh, and its boiling outside, leave the duster in the room yeah?" he laughed as he closed the door behind me.

"Not likely" I muttered to myself as a took in my surroundings.  
King size double bed that had clearly been made up by a maid based on how neatly it had been tucked in and the duvet folded back. I unpacked my clothes placing them in my dresser I couldn't help but worry about what I was walking into

" _What have you got yourself into Dimitri_ " I muttered to myself in Russian as I opened the door shared bathroom. Rose must not have been expecting me as the door on the opposite side of the bathroom was wide open, her bedroom was very much the same as mine except for the odd pictures around and dressing table that had an assortment of makeup and other things on it.

It was anything but clean however, clothes were thrown all over the place, it wasn't even organised mess, it was just…mess. I turned to face myself in the mirror before removing my leather duster and as quickly as I had taken it off I put it back on. There was no way that I was removing my only comfort from my back in a new environment like this. I headed towards the door to join the 'party', as Aaron had called it, not knowing what to expect at all.

I don't know why I expected anything but what I was looking at for this party. Guardians were walking around, their black suits standing out to me, but for the humans that mingled amongst them, not raising any suspicions.  
The waiters walking around with the endless supply of champagne as well as a comfortable buzz hanging around.

"Dimitri Belikov!" A loud booming voice announced.

Ibrahim Mazur was walking briskly towards me, a woman about Aaron's age was following about a step back from him, a woman I can only assume was his other Guardian, Alessia.

"Mr. Mazur" I greeted as he shook my hand

"It's very good to finally meet you" he said placing a hand on my shoulder, "When the Queen suggested you for Rose I must admit I was skeptical at first, but alas, your records won me over son" he began walking me down the steps further into the party below.

"I know you've met Aaron, but this lovely lady here is Alessia Adelardi" he gestured to the Guardian on his side

"It's good to meet you Guardian Belikov" she smiled before she went back to watching the area around her

"Now where is dear Rosemarie" Abe muttered as he looked around, I followed his gaze until it rested on a woman near the bar, "Ah, there she is. Alessia I really don't fancy yelling across this crowd, could you please go and get her for me"

"Yeah, i'll be right back" Alessia nodded  
I watched her walk over the dark haired woman. Placing a hand on her shoulder she turned around and it was like I was living in slow motion. As her attention was pulled from the Moroi man before her, I took in all her features.

She had dark hair that flowed down her back is soft waves and skin that as a flawless tanned brown. I could make out her dark brown eyes and full lips despite the distance between is.

She had curves that could bring any man to his knees as it was hugged by the white sundress she was wearing. She took my breath away. As Alessia talked to her she made eye contact with me, her lips curling into a smile as they began to walk towards us.

"Guardian Belikov" she addressed when she reached us, "It's a pleasure to meet you".  
Rose held out her hand waiting for me to return the shake,

"No Miss Mazur, the pleasure is all mine" I said taking her hand and kissing the top of it

"Call me Rose, I insist"

"Rose it is then" I settled, I still held her hand in front of me, I still hadn't broken eye with her.

"Rosemarie, my dearest" Abe coughed, "now that you are Guardian Belikov are known to each other, would you accompany me back to the floor as we wrangle some more Moroi"

"Of course" she breathed as I let go of her hand, and her father led her back into the small crowd in their backyard.

As I watched her and Abe work their way through that crowd, I quickly figured out her role in this business. She distracts whomever her father wishes to approach and she smiles and flirts, tender touches to their arms as if she's playing a role in a movie.

While watching her glide through the crowd, an uncomfortable figure came to my attention. A little blonde woman stood at the edge of the patio, her hands stiff beside her side, she relaxed only for a second when Rose approached her and even smiled at her, the turn of her cheek revealed exactly why she was so tense.

I turned to Alessia, "Why is there an Alchemist here?" I questioned,

"That's Sydney Sage. I guess you could say she's Abe's 'pet'" Alessia sighed

"Pet?"

"Okay, well it sounds harsh when you say it like that" she laughed, "She's a great woman, but Abe has done a lot to help her, so she kind of owes him" Alessia shrugged, her shoulder length black hair bobbing with the movement

"Abe is involved in with the Alchemists?" I asked stunned

"Not really 'involved', he only associates with Sage, but he is known well by the Alchemists in charge. He does them a favour and they owe him. It's an endless cycle _"_ Alessia smiled, "but one thing you will learn here in no time is that you never know who or what will walk through that front door Dimitri. Abe has a lot of connections, so does Rose"

"What kind of connections would Rose have that are so vital to Abe's business?"

"The Queen" she murmured, "Rose has a special 'friendship' with the Queen's great-nephew, Adrian"

"And when you say 'friendship' you really mean…"

"Don't make me say is Dimitri" Alessia laughed as she playfully slapped my arm.

I couldn't help but feel a little jealous at this obviously sexual relationship Rose has with Adrian Ivashkov. The few visits to Court I had gone on with Ivan had shown me exactly what the Royal Moroi were like, especially Adrian Ivashkov. I had seen him around the grounds and he was anything but subtle. He was a well-known womanizer and I didn't like the thought of Rose entertaining him.

* * *

As the night carried on, more and more people left, leaving the large house feeling ever grander. The bartender began packing up his station and the catering crews began to pack their vans and head off through the alley access.

Some Moroi and their Guardians were still scattered throughout the extravagant lounge rooms as they finished up any final dealings they had with Abe.  
I walked though the house learning all the rooms when I heard a melody like laugh echo though the hallway, along with the clinking of two sets of heels on the hard wood floors.

The chatter of two women began drifting through the hall closer towards me, they weren't speaking English, I think it was Turkish but I couldn't quite make it out.

Rose rounded the corner with another Dhampir girl, their arms linked together as they drunkenly laughed between them. Rose's entire attitude changed when she noticed me staring at them. From giggling to smirking as she looked me up and down, fluttering her eyelashes as she gazed.

"If you will excuse me Zayfe" Rose laughed, "I have to get 'acquainted' with the man that is going to be following me around". They kissed each other's cheeks before Rose interlocked her arm though mine, pulling me towards the stairs

"So, Belikov. Tell me about yourself" she giggled drunkinly

"What do you want to know?"

"Well, you are obviously Russian, you've got a nice accent" she giggled again, the faintest tinge of pink in her cheeks appearing this time however

"Good observation" I said stiffly

"Oh come on. You aren't one of those tightly wound Guardians are you?" She scoffed,

"I'm dedicated to the cause"

"Only cause it is all you've known" she spat, "Our society is centred around the Royals"

"How do you figure that?"

"Seriously? You live by a mantra which is pretty much racism. _They come first"_ Rose said, venom pouring out of her words

"I've never thought of it that way" I mumbled

"You see things differently when you grow up away from all the politics"

"You don't like to associate yourself with the politics?"

"Put it this way Comrade" she stopped walking and faced me, "I'm an _unpromised_ Dhampir who works shady business deals. I'm not exactly respected among the Moroi community" she turned away and began walking again

"You deserve to be respected" I sighed, ignoring the nickname she had created for me

"You say that now, but once you see what I get into, I think you might change your mind"

"I can handle it"

"Can you handle a bullet?" she abruptly asked when we reached the base of the steps, I looked down at her beside me. None of that previous pink in her cheeks remained and her smile had all but vanished.

"Why do you ask?" I whispered

"Well that's what brought down my previous Guardian" she sighed as she began to walk up the grand staircase leaving me stunned at their base.

"You know" she said stopping in the middle of the stairs, "I always thought that guns were cheating. We train our entire lives with hand to hand combat, and yet, we get brought down by a gun in the end" she smiled sadly before continuing up the stairs and rounding the corner heading for her room, her heels continuing to make a soft clinking against the floors until they ended with a door closing.

It was such a bold comment for a girl who was quite obviously drunk but reliving a horrific memory.

"There isn't anything that I wouldn't do for my girl Belikov" Abe boomed as he walked up beside me

"I don't doubt that Mr. Mazur" I nodded, still looking t the corner Rose had disappeared behind

"She had the best mentors and teachers money could buy and she learnt a lot but nothing prepared her for what happened to Sofia or what she went through herself"

"It would be a horrific thing to witness" I murmured

"I must also advise you Belikov of her recklessness"

I looked at him confused, "Recklessness?"

"Yes, my daughter may be smart and incredibly strong but she is still only twenty-two. She enjoys her partying but also her own safety"

"I'm sorry Mr. Mazur, I don't understand what you are trying to say"

"Don't sneak up on her. There is not a moment she is not armed in some way or form. Be it a knife or most recently after Sofia's death, a gun"

"She mentioned that she hated guns"

"Sometimes the things we hate most are all that can protect us" Abe smiled,  
"Anyway!" he once again boomed "you better get some rest, we have a busy week ahead of us. Lots of meetings and then we head off"

"Head off where?"

"Rose and I have an extremely important affair with Queen Tatiana back at court later this week. So we will be heading to Court for a few weeks to 'help' dear Tatiana with her current problem"

"And what is that problem?"

"That's what we have to figure out son" he winked as he strolled off down the hall leaving me reeling with new information.


	2. Organised Chaos

The house was quiet when I woke up, a couple of security guards wandering around but then again, it was very early.

Abe's talk had unsettled me greatly and not just for Rose's safety, but for my own. I didn't take his words lightly, and I don't think he wanted me to. I headed for the gym in the basement that Aaron had told me about, but someone had beat me too it.

Rose.

She was running on one of the treadmills, listening to music through her headphones, obviously pushing her self from the sweat dripping from every inch of her, and yet she didn't slow down nor stop in fact she was pushing herself even harder. As quickly as she had sped up, she began to slow down, stepping off the treadmill she breathed heavily, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to control her breathing

"Shit!" she yelled as she turned around, "didn't even hear you come in here" she directed at me as she removed her headphones

"Didn't mean to scare you" I said gruffly

"Yeah well too late" she laughed, as she put her head phones away and headed for the bench beside her

"Listen, about last night…" she began, "I didn't mean to snap at you or make you uncomfortable or something" she said as she looked at her feet

"I think it just made me more worried" I commented

"Even if I didn't make you uncomfortable, I shouldn't have lashed out at you. I don't even know you" she looked up at me, her brown eyes wide with regret,

"I've just had a pretty bad couple of months" she chuckled to herself as she began to wrap her hands up

"Guess you could say I have as well" I smiled at her

"Yeah who did you lose?" she scoffed walking towards the punching bag

"Six weeks ago I took my first holiday since being newly promised, and during that single week my best friend and my charge, Ivan, was killed" I muttered shadowing her

Rose stopped dead in her tracks, "Oh, shit, I'm sorry Dimitri. As you can see I talk before I think about my words" the look of distress obvious in her eyes

"How long had it been since you had a holiday?" she began punching the bag in front of her

"Is that your way of asking about my age Miss Mazur?" I asked

"Maybe" she smiled, "Like I think I have a good idea, but you know, some guys look twenty-five but they end up having kids my age" she laughed

"Okay, what's your guess then?"

"I was going to go with twenty-eight, but then you said you hadn't had a holiday since you got promised" she stopped punching the bag "and in the normal world, that's slave labour" she smiled and I couldn't help but melt a little bit

"I'm twenty-seven" I chuckled as I walked to the other side of the punching bag, my eyes never leaving her as I walked

"I wasn't too far off then!" she smiled again, "Guess my age" she commented putting her hand on her hips, her high ponytail falling down in front of her shoulder

"Why guess when I already know it" I smirked

"Abe is ruining my flirting" she muttered to herself and dropping her hands from her waist

"Oh, are you flirting with me now?" I smirked

"Trust me Guardian Belikov," she began as she took a step closer to me and pressed her palm on my chest, "if I'm going to flirt with you, you'll know about it" and with that she began walking towards the stairs out of the basement. My heart was almost beating out of my chest at her touch.

"I've got a meeting in an hour, so you better be ready" she called out from the stairs before hearing the door closed behind me

"What are you doing Dimitri" I muttered to myself and I pressed my forehead against the punching bag.

* * *

When Rose said she had a business meeting I didn't really know what to expect but as she walked down those steps I knew that whatever it was, it was far different than a normal business meeting. Her black pencil skirt ended just above her knee and her pale pink blouse hugged her flat stomach. Her outfit exposed every single decadent curve she had. Her black stiletto heels once again clinking as she came down the stairs, every inch of her looking absolutely _perfect._

"See something you like?" she smirked as she walked past me

"Lots" I mumbled under my breath once she was out of earshot.

She drove, but I guess that's fair enough when I don't know where I'm going. The drive wasn't long and the soft hum of the car's engine filled any silence we created in between small talk.

"So what is this business meeting going to be about?" I asked,

"It's to do with our trip to court later this week. Just some final kinks to sort out" she smiled at me as she pulled into the car park of a large upscale building

"Stay close to me here. This place is thick with Guardians but the sketchy Moroi out number them" her smile fell, "The Moroi we are meeting is one of Dad's business partners, he helps get most of our…supplies"  
I didn't push for the details on what she meant, but I knew it wasn't the run of the mill medical supplies.

The first person we saw was a familiar face, Zayfe. The Dhampir that had been with Rose after the party, the girls kissed each other on the cheek much like they had when Zayfe had left the house. I could see what Rose meant by staying close to her, people were staring, knowing obviously who she was and why she was here, no one glanced at me as I following closely behind her until we reached a set of large double red doors on the sixteenth floor, opening both with a flourish, Zayfe poured into the room with Rose and I in tow.

"Zachariah" Rose sighed sweetly as a tall Moroi man rose from her chair behind a desk

"Rosemarie my sweet, I'm so glad that you came to visit before you set off" he walked over to Rose, kissing both her cheeks. The Moroi looked no older than me, what stood out was his extreme British accent that I wasn't expecting.

"Your look like a dessert my love" he growled as he twirled her around to get a full view of her, "just tasty"

"Keep your fangs to yourself Zach" she smiled, "This is a business not pleasure meeting" she purred. As those words rolled of her tongue I sensed Zayfe tense slightly, either Zayfe was now involved with the Zachariah or she had serious feelings for him. I was also very curious as to what her role was in this business. But the way she hugged the wall just as I did, I felt she might have been his Guardian.

Rose and Zachariah continued to lightly flirt along with business talk. I couldn't get an idea of the exact business that was going on before my eyes, but it was definitely illegal.

"As long as you can get it into the tarmac, I will handle getting it into court Zachariah as I always have done. I always hold up my end of the deal" Rose smiled as she leaned back in the chair opposite him and crossing on knee over the other, her gaze flicking for half a second towards me and then back to Zachariah

"Fine" Zachariah sighed, "I'll have everything you require waiting on the tarmac for you, but I require a profit" he smiled cunningly as he placed with the pen in his hand, Rose returned his smile, not breaking eye contact,

"Guardian Belikov, Zayfe, would you excuse us as we discuss numbers".

I began to head for the door before I noticed that Zayfe hadn't moved from her position against the wall, not wanting to test the patience of Rose nor Zachariah, I continued walking until I was out of the door, Zayfe followed a few steps behind me, a sickening look on her face as she closed the doors behind her. She looked at me briefly before lowering her head.

Five minutes later, Rose opened the doors to the office and strolled out, a smile on her face as she fair welled Zachariah, Zayfe slipped through the doors, just as they began to close I was able to sneak a look into the office. Zachariah was leaning up against the desk, doing up the buttons on the sleeves of his dress shirt, a very pleased look on his face.

I had no idea what had gone on during those five minutes, but whatever it was it sickened Zayfe, but pleased both Rose and Zachariah. I stared at Rose as she walked in front of me towards the elevator. Once we were in the solitary of the descending lift I couldn't stop myself from asking;  
"What profit did he want Rose?" the concern in my voice extremely obvious

"Don't stress about that Dimitri, we have an arrangement in place that works well for both our businesses" she smiled

My gaze ran over her body, lingering on her neck  
"You aren't going to find any bites Dimitri" she sighed as she looked at me directly, "The less you know about the business my father and I work in, the better it will be for you" she rested her palm on my chest much like she had this morning in the gym

"I'm just concerned, I'm your Guardian and I feel that no matter what it is, I should be involved" my breath hitching as her fingers splayed out

"You say that now, but you aren't ready" she whispered looking up at me  
A comfortable silence hit us as I stared down at her, her hair trailing behind her as she looked up at me.

The smallest discolouration in my field of vision altered my focus as I noticed a slight purplish colour peeping out from underneath her blouse. A purplish colour that was greatly associated to bruising and a colour that wasn't there when I saw her this morning.

She was lying to me and I needed to figure out why.


	3. Fit For A Queen

I could see Rose becoming increasingly more agitated about the impending trip to Court today. The past few days had been a whirlwind of preparation and a fair few meetings. Most I attended with Rose, but there was a couple were both Abe and Rose attended, meaning all three Guardians attended. These seemed to be the more tense and argumentative meetings. The ones I attended with Rose seemed to go so smoothly, but then I guess that's why Abe sent her, she was the beauty of his operation and she won over everyone man she met with nothing but a bat of her eyes.

I didn't know why Rose was getting so agitated about going. Whether it had something to do with the way she would be perceived once she would be at Court or if it had something to do with the "supplies" she had organised with Zachariah earlier in the week. I was still debating with myself whether to tell Rose I had seen the residual effects of the bite she got. I knew that it was technically none of my business to question her about what choices she makes, but that didn't mean I wasn't concerned about her.

I had retreated to my room to pack my bag for the trip to Court when I heard a loud thump come from the bathroom door along with some very questionable words. Charging in without thinking was my first mistake.

"Shit Belikov!" Rose shouted from a topless heap on the floor, scrambling to cover herself up, "What are you doing in here?"  
I quickly looked anywhere but down at her as she collected herself,

"I-I heard a crash and just acted without thinking" I somehow managed to get out  
Rose stumbled to her feet, wrapping the first thing she could find around her chest, which happened to be a hand towel that didn't cover as much as she was expecting it to

"I tripped over my own feet" she grunted to herself as she tried to manage her breasts spilling out of the towel and her arms

"Here" I said picking up the t-shirt from my feet

"Thanks" She smiled as she took it from me, having to move closer so she wouldn't accidentally drop the towel. She faced away from me as she put the top back on, but not before I noticed her body riddled with scars. Everything from bite mark on her shoulder to the slashes on her back. I gasped involuntary upon seeing them

"Rose…" I whispered,

"I know, I know. I have to look at them every day. I know how horrible they are"

"Who-who did that to you?" I stuttered

"Depends which one you're referring to" she scoffed,

"Dhampir's don't scar though" I stared at the now covered scars but my gaze lingered on where the bite mark had been

"Only if they don't reoccur" she smiled sadly, "Unfortunately for me, mine all reoccurred because as soon as they began healing they would be ripped open again"

"Are they…voluntary?" my gaze shifted from her now covered shoulder to her eyes where I could see the pain of having to answer the question

"Yes" she whispered, "They weren't at first though" she turned away from me and began walking into her room

"Does this have anything to do with when you were abducted?"

She froze, her head snapping around to close any distance she had just walked "How did you know about that?" she snapped

"Aaron mentioned it to me"

"Of course he did. Just because he was the one that found me, doesn't mean it's his story to tell" she muttered to herself

"He didn't give me any details Rose. We had been discussing Guardian Kaya when it came up in conversation"

"Hmph, still" she grunted, "But yes. That's where it started. They would bite me occasionally to make me incapacitated. They didn't want me dead, they just wanted me weak purely so I couldn't fight back"

"And since then, you go back for bites?" I said, trying not to cringe as I spoke, it wasn't that that a Moroi drinking from a Dhampir disgusted me, I just didn't like the thought of someone touching Rose like that

"It's just a guilty pleasure I indulge in occasionally. There are only two Moroi I allow to bite me"

"Zachariah being one of them?"

"How do you-oh" she stopped, "I didn't cover it well did I?" she grimaced

"No, I saw it in the elevator" I closed my eyes and sighed, "I should finish packing, and I guess you should start" I said as I began to turn back for the sanctuary of my own room

"I don't want you to think of me as some kind of blood whore" she sighed, "It's bad enough that those at Court assume it without actually seeing my scars"

"I don't see it as that" I turned, "I see it like an addiction I guess. Some like to smoke, some like to drink alcohol, and some are better at hiding their addictions"

"I'm not an addict either" she scoffed

"I didn't say you were. I just believe it's a vice that you give into occasionally"

"So you aren't disgusted in me?" she asked as she sat down on her bed

"No" I chucked, "but it makes me want to protect you more".

I made my way out of our bathroom and softly closed the bathroom door behind but not before giving her a small smile, the look she gave me back was something different however. It looked more hungry, more enticing.

* * *

Twelve hours later we were on the tarmac boarding a Court provided jet. Rose was already making her way up the steps leading into the cabin when a crate caught my eye. It was sitting alongside all our bags waiting to be loaded into the cargo hold. Just a simple, brown crate. It was no larger than microwave.  
I know I shouldn't have let my curiosity get the better of me, but I just had to know what kind of 'supplies' Rose and Abe were smuggling into court.

I made my way towards the crate when Aaron caught my eye. He was staring at me, eyes wide with a slight shaking of his head as if to warn me.  
" _Don't"_ he mouthed.  
Something about his eyes made me stop dead in my tracks, he was warning me off. We stayed locked like that for several seconds before Abe walked over, distracting me

"You ever been to court son?" he smiled

"Only a few times Sir" I smiled back as I angled my body away from the crate

"Well, those times will have been very different experiences compared to the one you are about to be involved in" he looked at me curiously

"I believe it will be" I said respectively

"While we are still here though Belikov, I needed to clear up some things with you"

"Clear things up?"

"You seem like a very straight man. One that does no wrong"

"I try to stick to my morals Sir" I said strongly

Abe huffed, "Well sometimes me and Rose aren't that lucky. I know you have already witnessed some questionable dealings. We do not involve our Guardian's in those dealings however"

"I'm a little confused then Sir. I'm Rose's Guardian, doesn't that make me involved already?"

"Not in the way that we are involved. Rose has some very important meetings to attend for me while we are at Court. These meetings have very questionable intentions behind them. I trust you to keep them between us?"

I was lost for words, was Abe…threatening me? Before I even had a chance to provide a response, Aaron and Alessia strolled over to us

"Mr Mazur, we are ready for take-off" Aaron announced, his eyes darting between the both of us

"Ah!" Abe exclaimed, "Ahead of schedule" he began to walk up the stairs joining Rose in the cabin

"Don't take what he said lightly" Aaron mumbled as he walked past me.

It was the middle of the Moroi night, so therefore it was a beautiful sunny afternoon when we landed on the Court run way, and only three people greeted us as we unloaded.

"Make sure that package gets to the Queen, Guardian Ashford" Abe barked to the redheaded Guardian on the tarmac

"Of course Mr Mazur" he smiled as he walked towards the cargo hold but not before Rose began her decent down the stairs, entrancing the three men before her. She had changed out of her casual jeans and t-shirt into a much more professional attire.

The Moroi man I recognised immediately as he held his hand up for Rose to catch onto to help her down the last steps.

"Much appreciated Lord Ivashkov" she smiled sweetly, accepting the hand that he provided.

 _Adrian._

I hadn't met him personally but the times I had seen him while I was with Ivan as well as the way that Alessia had summarised their relationship let me to believe that we would not be getting along any time soon. After assisting her down the final steps his eyes rested on me following close behind

"You must be Rose's new Guardian?" he asked, extending a hand to me

I hesitated for a second before giving in, "Guardian Dimitri Belikov" I said shaking his outstretched hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Ivashkov"

 _Maybe this guy isn't as bad as I thought_

"It's always a _pleasure_ to meet me, isn't it Rose" he smirked, Rose only glared at him.

 _Scratch that_

Rose greeted Guardian Ashford and the other Guardian I hadn't met before nor knew the name of, both of them giving her a hug.  
Everything was loaded into the SUV except for the crate, which was taken in a separate car by Guardian Ashford presumably to the Queen's quarters as Abe had requested. The car dropped us off at the Guest Housing so we could all settle in. Aaron, Alessia and myself all sharing a large suite and Abe and Rose in separate suites on either sides of our room.

"We have thirty minutes until our meeting with the Queen. Be ready" he informed us before disappearing behind his door.

* * *

"I guarantee you Belikov" Aaron laughed as he bit into his sandwich, "This is going to be an intense meeting"

"And what led you to that conclusion?" Alessia said coolly, not even glancing up from the book in her lap

"Cause I was in that meeting Abe had with Alistair yesterday" not bothering to finish his bite before talking, "Abe is fired up about whatever is in that crate"

Alessia rolled her eyes, "It's none of our business Aaron"

Aaron scoffed, "Just wait until he unveils it to the Queen. It's meant to _help_ guardians apparently"

Her head snapped up, "help us with what?"

"Strigoi" he smiled before digging back into the sandwich

"Who's Alistair?" I finally said, the two Guardians looked between each other

"One of Abe's more _questionable_ contacts" Alessia said stiffly

"Jeez Alessia, let up with the italics. He's not that bad of a guy" Aaron groaned

She shot him a glare, "Anyone who smuggles contraband is a bad guy to me"

"Shit Alessia, who do you think we fucking work for!" Aaron exclaimed before looking at me, "Alistair is Abe's shipping guy. Abe lets him know where the goods are coming from and where they go. He gets it done"

"So he's a smuggler?" I questioned, Alessia nodded sharply

"What did he smuggle in?"

Aaron smiled, "It's not what he smuggled in Belikov, it's what he smuggled out this time"

"Does this have anything to do with a Moroi named Zachariah?" I was beginning to piece together more and more information.

 _A_ _s long as you can get it into the tarmac, I will handle getting it into court,_ Rose had said to Zachariah _  
_

Aaron nodded, "He is Abe's firearms dealer"

"So the crate has guns in it?" I muttered

"Depends. I don't remember Abe meeting with Zachariah before we left?" Alessia questioned,

"That's cause he didn't" Aaron smiled, "Rose did'"

"You get way too much satisfaction out of all this stuff Aaron" Alessia grunted, "Maybe you should be Abe's business partner"

"Oh if only. I'd be rich baby," he laughed as he checked his watch, "We got a few minutes until we have to head off"

"Wait so if the crate just has guns in it, why get a smuggler in to get it into court?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing honestly,

"Well it doesn't matter about Court, as they don't have any screening of bags and stuff. But we board from a Human airport. Abe doesn't get special privileges when it comes to Border Control. Gotta get it out of the county somehow"

Seeming defeated, Alessia raised from her cross legged position on the floor, doggy-earing the page she was up to on her book, "I'll make sure Rose is ready to go" she sighed grabbing her jacket and disappearing out the door

"Don't worry about her Belikov" Aaron smiled, "She may be tightly wound, but we all know she got a soft spot for Abe and Rose"

"And you obviously enjoy the work Abe does" I grunted

"When you've been around it as long as I have, you see it from a different perspective" he winked as he grabbed his coat that was draped over a chair.

Seeing Aaron so contempt and joyous over the business that Abe and Rose work made me shiver. They were smuggling in all kinds of illegal items and then distributing them, who knew how far and wide these items were going. Rose was involved in this. I couldn't wrap my head around that. There was so much more that she could have done with her life, why did she stick with working with Abe?

As we all hung around the corridor waiting for Abe to appear from his room, I noticed a couple of heads poking out of their doors, probably wanting to see who was hanging around.

Once they realised they had been caught, they closed their doors just as fast as they had opened and weren't to be seen again, although, they would probably try get another look once we had begun walking away.  
I was right. A quick glance behind us as we moved towards the exits showed two heads poking out of their door way. It seems that when Abe and Rose were here, they caused quite a commotion.

The royal housing was always a sight whenever I saw it. We had stayed in the Royal housing when Ivan would visit Court, as he was a Zeklos. It always amazed me with the intricate designs and decoration, but not even the rooms Ivan and I would stay in compared to what we had just walked into. A room I thought I would never see the inside of in my life; Queen Tatiana's personal quarters.

Rose and Abe were led in by two of the Queens Guardians, the three of us following close behind until we were inside the chambers. Alessia and Aaron immediately stayed near the door, almost hugging the wall, I followed suite.

"Your Majesty" Abe smiled fondly as both him and Rose bowed to her. She was standing in the middle of the room, while not underdressed, she was certainly not as elegantly dressed as a public appearance would require

"Ibrahim and Rosemarie" she sighed happily, "I'm so glad you got here safely" her gaze moved from Abe and Rose to us behind them

"Guardian Jarden, Guardian Adelardi" she nodded politely to the Guardian beside me and they lowered their head respectively, "and Guardian Belikov I assume" she smiled this time

"Yes your Majesty" lowering my head as a bow

"I'm used to the women out numbering the men when the Mazur house comes to visit me, this is a pleasant surprise to see the tables turned" she smiled at Abe

"Not without tragedy however" Abe replied solemnly

"Yes, It was very distressing to hear about Guardian Kaya. Are you recovering well yourself?"

"I am, thank you for asking" Rose replied, a sickly sweet smile on her face. Had Rose been hurt in the attack that killed Guardian Kaya?

"Anyway, I want to discuss this matter quickly, as I have a council meeting in a few hours and would like to get some rest before then"

"Of course, I assume Guardian Ashford delivered the package to you?" Abe spoke up

"He did" She said softly as i held my breath, "It was impressive. I don't think it will take much to get the council on board with passing it as a tool with the same importance as a stake"

"It's certainty very beneficial to incapacitate a Strigoi. Even though it doesn't kill them, it creates a sense in their body associated with the charmed stake that makes their body begin to shut down" Rose stated

"Therefore making the Strigoi believe he's already lost the fight, and then gives a Guardian a clean shot with their stake" Abe concluded

I glanced beside me as a grinning Aaron before looking back at the scene unfolding before me

"Who would have though charmed bullets would be a way to fight Strigoi" Tatiana murmured, "I will bring it out into the council tomorrow. Has it been effective?"

"Extremely" Rose smiled, "I tested it myself. I carry one with me now"

"How did you test it?"

"I went 'hunting' of sorts" Rose's smile now turned it something more sinister, "I actively sought out Strigoi and took two down in under a minute with the gun"

"I'll be sure to mention those details when I address the council" Tatiana returned Rose's smile, "You will both be compensated appropriately of course" she continued, both Rose and Abe nodding slightly at her.

"I do have one more issue I need to discuss with you however" she added

"Anything" Abe smiled

"There are whispers going around Court at the moment. A certain Royal is creating a bit of havoc within these walls. I want it ceased" she said firmly, "However, I have asked Adrian to fill you in on the details as I must rest"

Abe coughed, "I, myself have some business to attend to your majesty. Would this matter be something Rosemarie will be able to take onboard"

"By all means" a fanged smile broke out across Tatiana's face

The door beside me swung open with Adrian now standing the doorway.

"Adrian" Tatiana sighed sweetly, "Would you please fill dear Rosemarie in on the next order of business"

"Of course Aunt" he smiled before looking at Rose, "Shall we my love?".  
Rose and Abe traded quick pleasantries with Tatiana before we were all dismissed.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Hi All,_

 _This is just a quick note about future chapters of this story. I've had several people comment on Rose giving her blood in the story. Please note that there is little to no mention of it past this chapter. Abe isn't aware of her giving her blood and he definitely wouldn't approve if he knew!_

 _-RCap_


	4. Blue Whiskey

I wasn't expected to stay with Rose at all times during our time at Court, but I chose to spend a majority of my time shadowing her. It wasn't because I didn't think she could handle herself against someone wanting to attack her, I just felt more at ease being near her during an obviously tense time. I didn't need to escort Rose and Adrian for their next meeting, but I felt that it was best of me to continue until the end of their meeting.

The Queen, being too busy to sit the entire meeting, appointed her great-nephew to fill Rose in on what had been circulating throughout court. Abe dismissed Rose and Adrian to discuss matters as he needed to see to some other commitments while few people knew we were here.

Adrian had immediately suggested the bar for them to discuss. The quietness of court and shinning sun meant that a majority of court was asleep, but it was never to early or too late to enjoy a drink in Rose and Adrian minds.

The bar was practically empty, save for a couple of Moroi men sitting in the corner smoking. Booths that created a sense of privacy for the patrons mainly filled the somewhat small bar. A long bench that was adorned with glittering bottles behind it was on the back wall. Rose and Adrian went up to the bar, as I stayed closer to the door. Standing by the wall, blending in as a statue that I was taught to be.

Once they had their drinks, they settled into a booth that was no more than a few metres from my standing position. Once they sat down, all sexual playfulness was gone. Adrian was all business, as was Rose.

"The issue is regarding Natasha Ozera" Adrian said as he traced the rim of the whisky cup with his finger, I hadn't heard Tasha's name is a long time, and hearing it perked my interest

"and what exactly _is_ the issue?" Rose questioned, taking a sip of her drink which looked like whisky as well

"There are rumours going around about her recruiting"

"Recruiting?"

"Yeah. Anyone who will listen really. Which isn't a good idea seeing as so many people she has approached have actually turned her in"

"What is she recruiting for?"

"We don't know. All that we know is that she's getting people on board with her cause. Guardians and Moroi. We need you guys to put a stop to whatever is it she's doing"

"And figure out what it is in the mean time?"

"Well yes. Aunt is worried. It may not be something as dismissible as common rebellion. It may be something treasonous"

"When you say, 'put a stop', do you mean a permanent stop?" Rose whispered

I couldn't hold in my shock of what I had just heard and pushed myself from the wall I had been stationed at and headed straight for Rose

"Rose I need to speak to you" I hissed

"Sorry but it will need to wait Guardian Belikov, I'm in a meeting in case you didn't notice" she replied without breaking eye contact with Adrian

"No, no Rose, if Guardian Belikov has some matter of urgency to discuss with you, I can wait for it to be finished with before we continue" Adrian said as he leant back against the plush booth

"Much appreciated Lord Ivashkov" I nodded towards him  
Rose slowly finished her drink, still not breaking eye contact with Adrian, before rising from her seat, first brushing off her pants and then glaring at me as we walked out of the bar, into the sunshine of the grounds

"What was that about" I snapped, pointing back at the bar

"Excuse me?" Rose scoffed

"Adrian mentioned Tasha Ozera, why?" I snapped

"Guardian Belikov," Rose sighed "do I need to remind you of your place here?"

I blinked in astonishment, the Rose standing before me was not the same Rose that had been in Zachariah's office nor the gym. She was different.

"My place?" I questioned

"Yes, your place. You are not a part of my father's business. You are a Guardian. You do not intervene, you simply monitor"

"If something is going on, I have a right to know"

"Do you though? What gives you that right?" Rose said while crossing her arms in front of her body

"Tasha Ozera is an…old friend of mine" I muttered

"Oh, so you believe that because you know the name, you should know the business" Rose hissed

"Yes I do believe that" I said, holding my ground and looking down at her

"You, Guardian Belikov have been in this household for not even a week, I wouldn't start acting like you are in power here nor that you have any say in our business. I would watch your tone with me and advise you to step back and _stand down_ from the offensive because you are in no position to be questioning me" Rose snarled as she pointed at me

"If I think something dangerous is going on, I have a right to voice my opinion" I growled down at her

"No you sure as hell don't. If it's dangerous or not you don't have any say in our business or how we do dealings. Our decisions are made without the voices of our guardians" she hissed at me "Now stand down!" the finger she had been pointing at me made contact with my chest and I quickly grabbed her wrist ready to push her away from me

"You are a spoiled young woman who acts irrationally and doesn't think about her decisions nor what impact they have on others" I growled

"I am anything but spoiled Guardian _Belikov_ " she spat, "I have been hunted, tortured and seen things that no one my age should ever see" I could see the hurt in her eyes as she spoke, almost as if she was reliving memories of her traumas, I relaxed the tight hold on her wrist

"I know that you lost your friend Ivan, but I lost _all_ of my friends Belikov, I lost my mother due to the work my father and I are in and I lost Sofia. I'm a great asset to my father but I'm also his greatest weakness and vice versa. He is all I have left, so if I need to do this job to further our chances at staying alive, ill do it. It's how I've been brought up"

I stared at her stunned, not knowing how to respond, my mouth opened to reply, but nothing came out.

"I wouldn't expect someone who grew up behind the security of the wards to understand how differently I grew up. The scars I have are enough proof of how different our lives are. It's hard for a Dhampir to scar, you said that yourself, so I'm sure you can see how much pain I have been in" she pulled her hand out of my grasp and glared at me "Know your place and stand down. I won't repeat myself again Belikov"

I took a step back from Rose and lowered my gaze to her hands that were so tightly clenched at her sides she might have been drawing blood.  
"Rose, I-" I stuttered

"It's Miss Mazur to you now Guardian Belikov" she sighed, relaxing her hands "Miss Mazur. And you're dismissed for the night" she finished as she walked around me heading back into the bar where Adrian was waiting for her.

I stood frozen outside of the bar, not knowing what had stumped me more. The lack of knowledge I had about her life or the amount of power she had in just one conversation. I shoved my hands into my pockets and began walking towards my quarters, kicking the sticks on the path as a walked. I couldn't stop replaying the words Rose had spoken in my head.

The words I didn't know what to think of, but I felt like I needed to figure out what they meant. _Hunted? Tortured?_ I had to find out more about her. I just had to. But I didn't know where to start. She didn't grow up here nor did she really socialise with the Moroi or Dhampirs at court.

When I reached the guest housing I saw a familiar face, I didn't know the name of the man, but I recognised him as one of the Guardians that Rose had seen as soon as she walked onto the Court tarmac.

"Excuse me!" I shouted out to the man and I jogged up towards him

"Yeah can I help you mate?" he responded in a bored voice, "You lost or something?"

"Um no, not lost just wanting to ask you a couple of questions actually"

His head cocked to the side as he looked me up and down, "Hey, I've seen you before…" he said quietly, "Mazur! You're Mazur's Guardian!"

"Yeah that's me," I said extending my hand, "Guardian Belikov" I introduced

"Guardian Castile" he responded shaking my hand, "good to meet you. What can I help you with?"

"I actually wanted to ask you a couple of questions about Ro-Miss Mazur" I corrected

"You're her Guardian though, you should know more about her than everyone"

"I've only been part of the Mazur guard for about a week, and I don't know much about the house I'm working for. Could you fill me in with some details?"

"Sure I guess so" he smiled as he checked his watch "I start my shift soon but, I'm happy to go for a couple of drinks later after my shift if you're up for it"

"Yes, definitely. I can meet you at the bar at..." I waited for him to fill in the time he finishes

"I'm working until sun down, so I'll be dying for a drink by then"

"Ill see you then, thanks again Guardian Castile"

"Please, call me Eddie" he corrected, "Unless Adrian is around" he winked

"Adrian? Lord Ivashkov? You're his Guardian?"

"Yeah, straight out of Vlads and been following him around as drinks his way around the world" Eddie laughed sharply before sighing, "I fucking hate it man"

"I can see how being the Guardian of a drinker would be stressful" I said softly looking at my feet

"Try drunk, only time I get any peace and quiet is when Mazur is here"

"Really?" I said surprisingly, my head snapping up

"Yeah, when she's here his drinking is almost non-existent. Don't know if she just brings out the sober in him or if he just wants to remember their 'encounters'" rolling his eyes, we began walking towards the main building where the Guardian's began their shifts

"Yeah, I did hear that they were involved" I muttered

"'Involved'" Eddie scoffed, "If you want to call it that. All they do is get each other off when the other is around"

"As in like a causal relationship?"

"Yeah, he settles for it. He wants more, but with the kind of life she has…" Eddie faltered, "It's just not the place for a royal" and with that Eddie continued on, leaving me with my thoughts.

* * *

I sat by the edge of my bed until the end of Eddie's shift, his words turning through my head relentlessly; he said that the life Rose lives is no life that a royal should be involved in. I thought back to Rose telling about surviving, _'further our chances of staying alive'_ , and when I had accidentally stormed in on her after she had fallen over half naked; seeing those scattered scars all over her body had haunted my dreams since I saw them. Dhampirs didn't scar, we heal so quickly that we just can't.

The damage must have been so horrific and extensive that it just couldn't heal. She hadn't told me how she got all the scars; she only spoke specifically of the bite marks. But some of them spoke for themselves, like the stab wound where a knife must have gone though the flesh below her collarbone and the slash wounds all over her back.

Aaron had told me that when she was sixteen she had been taken directly from their home and tortured using her own stake and Moroi magic, and according to Rose, they would bite her so the endorphins made her weak. Abe had tracked the kidnappers down and killed them; of course, that part isn't public knowledge, Rose didn't know I knew that either.

I had been sitting on my bed for god knows how long. I had so much going through my mind that I had almost been in a trance. My door loudly swinging open was what brought me out of the apparent trance and bring me to my feet

"Are you serious man! You can't talk to Rose like that! You're her Guardian, not her dad!" Aaron yelled as he slammed the door behind him

"You heard?" I sighed,

"Shit yeah I heard about it, you better hope she doesn't tell Abe" Aaron began pacing near the window on the other side of the three beds, "This is bad Dimitri"

"How is it so bad though Aaron? I just voiced my opinion" I moved out of the way of the beds so I stood in the way of the door

"Abe's business is not our business though Dimitri. We don't get involved in it. He can tear your career to shreds! If he wants you out, you are out!" Aaron stopped pacing suddenly and made a beeline for me, standing so close that I could feel the rage radiating off him,

"So help me Dimitri you protect that girl with your life! No excuses! She's been through enough shit in her short life that she doesn't need _you_ coming down on her!" he growled while pointing at me in almost the exact same way Rose had

"Why do you care so much Aaron! She's not Moroi" I yelled back

"Because she's fucking family Dimitri!" his rage peaked, and he shoved me back, "I've known that girl since she was ten years old and I've seen every injury she had ever had, every stab wound, every burn and every god damn gunshot! You think Sofia was the only one who was shot that night! Rose almost died! How do you think she got the scars on her chest? She may not be Moroi, but she comes first to me!".

Aaron was breathless by the end of his speech, with a grunt he shouldered past me and reached for the door, pausing as he touched the handle, "She's a good person Dimitri and she doesn't deserve to be hounded on. You are her protector, so protect her. If you give her a chance, I guarantee she will surprise you" and with that he was gone, the door slamming behind him.

I couldn't move, I don't think I moved for several minutes. I just stood staring at the door. Aaron was right. I did have no right to come down on her like that and yet I still did.

Walking into the pristine bathroom that was connected to my room I splashed cold water over my face, "What is wrong with you" I muttered to my reflection. I couldn't push the look in Rose's eyes as she mentioned her traumas. That hollow look haunted me. Sighing I glanced at the window to see the sun beginning to set and headed out towards the bar where a few hours ago I had argued with Rose.

Out of habit of approaching a new location, I quickly glanced around the bar before heading towards the bar on the other side of the room when an unrestrained and blissful laugh echoed through the room, looking for the source of the sound, I found it was Rose. She was still here? Adrian's laugh followed after Rose's as they sat still in the same booth, however Rose had shifted to the same side as him instead of opposite him.

Just looking at them you could see how drunk they were. Rose's hair had been pulled into a high pony tail and her coat was hanging over the back of the booth. The tinge of pink on her chest confirming my thoughts about them being drunk. Neither of them had noticed me come in even though they were the only two left in the bar, so I headed for one of the stools at the end of the counter.

Their laughs continued to occupy the air of the room as they joked and made playful passes at each other. I glanced back at them at one point and saw the look in Adrian's eyes as he watched her laugh and smile. Eddie had been right, he did want a lot more from her than the friends with benefits gig they had going, you could see it in on his face. He looked at her like she was a goddess. I couldn't help but feel a small pang of jealousy with how close he was to her, his hand resting on her thigh and their legs intertwined. I looked away quickly before I saw more than I apparently wanted to.

"Vodka please" I muttered to the bartender, he nodded as he grabbed a glass from behind him

"They been here all night?" I questioned him

"Yeah all night. I'm used to seeing Ivashkov here, it's not often I see Mazur's daughter. She must be here on business again" he placed my drink in front of me,

"They normally have a couple of blow outs while she is here though" the bartender added

"Blow outs?"

"Yeah, like they come in here and get so trashed that they can't even walk back to the residences. They're young though, have to let them have fun I guess" he smiled as he leant up against the counter behind him. I heard the doors open behind me, glancing back, Eddie was walking through the doors, shaking his head at Adrian who was now whispering something in Rose's ear as he caressed the fabric on her thigh. They quickly downed their drinks and began stumbling out of the bar together, still laughing at each other.

"The Guardians are going to get a kick out of those two stumbling around at this time" Eddie laughed as he sat down beside me, ordering a beer as he did.

Noticing my vodka he piped up, "Little early for _that_ isn't it?" he said as he took a swig of his beer

"Didn't sleep after I last saw you, this should help me later but" I mumbled before taking another sip

"What kind of stuff did you want to know Belikov?" he finally said, turning to face me

"How long have you known Rose?"

"Me and Mason met her when we were about seventeen I recon. Vlads was on a Christmas holiday to this resort. She was there with Abe. I didn't know what her trip was about until like two years later"

"They were there on business?"

"Always. They don't do anything without a motive" he said taking another short swig, "She was there on request of the Queen. To keep an eye out on Lissa"

"Lissa? I'm sorry, I don't know the name"

"Oh! Yeah, you would know her by Vasilisa"

"The Dragomir Princess" I nodded, "Why was she looking out for the Princess"

"The Queen had noticed some…" he paused, "traits I guess you could say, in Lissa. Traits that her and Adrian share"

"She was trying to marry off her nephew?" I coughed

Eddie laughed, "At first I think she was, but when she realised that she wasn't going to get Lissa away from Christian Ozera, she gave up"

Eddie was still chuckling to himself as he finished his beer, "She noticed that Lissa has aspects of a different magic than the conventional five. This one is Spirit. Both her and Adrian posses it. But she wasn't sure, so she got Rose and Adrian to find out"

"Is that how Rose and Adrian met?"

He nodded, "Much to Mason's displeasure. He was like in love with Rose even after only seeing her a couple of times"

"How did they find out if she had Spirit?"

"Injury" his smile faded

"They _purposely_ hurt a Princess?" I questioned startled

"Oh no, no way! They hurt each other to see if she could heal them. Like Rose would punch Adrian and see if Lissa could heal the bruise"

"Did it work?"

"Yeah, it fixed his broken jaw" Eddie laughed, "Rose got carried away and just socked him. It was hilarious to watch honestly" he waved for another beer. "Ever since then, the Queen has kept a close eye on her so people don't abuse the power she has"

"Like Victor Dashkov tried?"

"Yeah, that was bad" Eddie mumbled, "It could have been a lot different if Christian had of been hit harder. I think it was just pure luck he was able to alert someone fast"

I finished the drink I was on, quickly getting a refill, "Are you close with Rose?"

Eddie eyed me, "Belikov, are we here to discuss the Mazur's or just Rose?"

I laughed to myself, "I don't even know. I think before the trip here I was curious about the entire family, Rose's mother included. But…" I paused slight, "Rose and I had a fight just before I saw you, she said a couple of things that I haven't been able to sop thinking about"

"Like?"

"She said she'd been hunted and tortured, and I just don't know how to process something like that"

"Well, she's not lying to you, that's for sure" he mumbled,

"You know what happened?"

"Hell Belikov, I was one of the ones that found her" Eddie downed the beer and looked me dead in the eyes, "I will never forget that night. Rose tried her hardest to fight, but she just couldn't. They tortured her, almost killing her and then set her loose in the forest"

"Why let her loose?" I asked, my voice beginning to shake

"To catch her again. They hunted her for hours. She had twelve stab wounds when we found her. _Twelve!_ "

"How did you find her?"

"Adrian found her. She'd passed out from the blood loss. Adrian found her in a spirit dream and forced an almost an entire legion of Guardians out into that forest to look for her. Thank god we did. Anymore than a hour and she would have died"

"Who did that to her?" I felt my blood boiling for the anger within me,

"No one knows" Eddie whispered, "Not even Rose. She doesn't remember anything about her attackers. But her last known movements were in Court, so it was someone or a group of people from court"

" _Trust no one,"_ I mumbled to myself

"Huh?"

"When I first started as Rose's Guardian, Aaron said to me to be suspicious of all of Abe's associates"

"Rightfully so. They play a dangerous game those two, that's why they need you" Eddie was all serious now, "Belikov, she has a lot of people that care about her here, she doesn't like to think so but she does. We need _you_ to keep her safe for us. Abe is good at hiding his true intentions, as is the Queen, but they picked you out of everyone else"

"Everyone else? I didn't even apply to be her Guardian"

"I did. So did Mason and about six other highly reputable Guardians. But they wanted you"

"I will do everything in my power to keep her safe Eddie. Believe me" I downed my drink in one gulp, "I have to go find her but, I need to apologise to her" I rose from my chair

"You might want to wait a few hours" he looked down at the empty bottle, "Go back to your room and get some sleep. Deal with that later"

"Why? Why not right now"

"You didn't see the way she left the bar?" he scoffed, "She's not back at her room Belikov, she's with Adrian. Just leave it until she's sober and not preoccupied"

"Thank you Eddie. You have given me a lot to consider. These are on me" I placed some money on the counter

"Thanks" he smiled, "Now go get some sleep!"

I chuckled as I made my way for the door, I needed to see Rose, but I didn't exactly want to see her in a situation that would make both of us uncomfortable, no matter how much I wanted to make sure she was far from Adrian's grasp.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _Hi Readers,_

 _I thought I would clear up some details about the characters that a reviewer questioned._

 _As I begun the story when Rose was twenty-two compared to her being seventeen when the Vampire Academy series begun, I felt that she shouldn't have the same innocence as she did in the book. She is a young adult in this story, so she is bound to have experimented more than she would have if she was seventeen._  
 _This also stems from a very different upbringing she would have had compared to the books. I was aiming to create a much darker Rose in this story. I had the same mindset when I wrote Abe, Dimitri and all the other characters. Their pasts are slightly different than those in the books, and I felt that needed to be reflected in their current personalities._

 _This story is not centred around blood whores and sex, they are merely themes that I have included in the background of Rose's character due to her traumas._

 _I had a lot of fun writing this story, and as I am not Richelle, I may not be able to write the characters in the same way she does._

 _Hope this clears any questions up_

 _-RCap_


	5. Amends

I had the room to myself when I arrived back from the bar, slumping into the arm chair near the window, I wanted nothing more than to find Rose, but Eddie was right. I needed to wait.

There was a knock at my door, "Busy night" I muttered to myself, I was getting tired and really wasn't in the mood for any more visitors, especially ones that would yell at me.

I swung open the door to see Rose standing in the door frame, shoes in her hand beside her and a small smile on her face,

"Can I come in?" she almost whispered

"Of course" I said, stepping aside to let her in

"Is Aaron and Alessia here?" she placed her shoes near the door and walked over and sat on the edge of Alessia's bed

"No, I think they are with your father at the moment" I muttered, "Weren't you with Lord Ivashkov?"

"Yeah for a bit, we didn't leave that bar till a lot later though" she chucked softly, "He took me to get some food and he was walking me back to my room when I saw you walking into your room"

I nodded softly, breaking eye contact shortly as I removed my duster, placing it on the arm chair I had just been sitting on.

"Dimitri I-"

"Rose" I interrupted her, "Before you say anything I need to apologize to you for what I said _and_ for how I acted"

"I was a massive bitch to you, I didn't need to be that horrible" she countered as she looked down at her hands

"I let myself get carried away because I know Tasha, it's no excuse for what I said though"

"No it's a very appropriate excuse though Dimitri. It's easy to come to conclusions, especially with what Adrian and I were discussing" she began to intertwine her fingers together, almost fiddling with them.

I walked over and knelt in front of her by the bed, resting my hands on top of hers to stop the fidgeting. I felt my breath catch at the skin to skin contact,

"It doesn't matter. I shouldn't have spoken to you in that way" I said as I looked down at her hands, "There is never an excuse to talk to someone you care about in the way I did"

"I'm just as bad then" she whispered.

I looked up at her, meeting her eyes. Being this close to her was intoxicating, even though I could smell the whiskey coming off her, I could still make out the sweet smell of whatever perfume she had put on earlier in the evening. Her brown eyes bored into mine, consuming me fully. I just couldn't look away from her, it was like she had me in some sort of trance

"I'm your Guardian, I was meant to protect you, not hurt you" I whispered, "I'm going to protect you. I swear it Rose"  
I paused to gauge her reaction, she had none, "I won't let anything happen to you"

"You promise?" she said, barely audible

"I promise, Roza"

Her breath hitched when the words left my lips. I don't know what caught her breath though, my promise or me saying Roza. Her fingers began caressing my hand softly as she continues to stare at me,

"You should get some sleep" I said softly,

"You should too" she replied, neither of us making any moves to leave.  
Rose was the first to move though, but she wasn't moving away from me, she was moving towards me.  
With me kneeling before her, we were already in close proximity, but she was beginning to close whatever gap was left. The world went into slow motion around me. Was she going to kiss me? Can I kiss her? Am I even allowed to do that?

"Rose" I said, "I'm your Guardian" she froze

"So? It's not like you're my teacher or anything," she whispered back while a small smile began to form on her lips, "It's not frowned upon"

"I don't think your father would be very happy about you seducing your Guardian" I managed to get out

"Am I seducing you Dimitri?" she smiled as her eyes twinkled

"I think you might be" I said, still frozen in place. Rose however, was no longer frozen in place and she was coming in fast.

The sound of someone opening the door sprang me away from her though. Aaron strolled in, softly closing the door behind him.

"Rose, Dimitri" he nodded as he walked towards the small kitchenette we had in our room, getting himself a glass of water.

"Hey Aaron" Rose smiled as she stood from the bed. I had been able to move fast and away from Rose before Aaron had walked in

"I'm gonna get some sleep, so if you guys were in the middle of chatting or something, I'm kicking you guys out. Go chat is Rose's room" Aaron said, moving towards the single bed closest to the window

"That's okay, we were just finishing up though" Rose smiled as she walked over to the door, "You should get some sleep as well Dimitri"  
She leant down and picked up her heels from beside the door and disappeared out of our suites door, but not before she flashed one more smile at me.

"So you guys made up?" Aaron said as he got into the bed

"Yeah, I guess so" I mumbled, "Where's Alessia?"

"She's still with Abe. Probably won't be done for another couple of hours" he sighed, "Night Dimitri".

* * *

I woke up later in the 'afternoon' to a full room again. Alessia must have slipped in while both Aaron and I had been sleeping. I was able to get up and shower without disturbing the two Guardians that would have been extremely sleep deprived and made my way out of the room. Heading for the gym I was stopped by a familiar face.

"Dimka" Tasha smiled as she changed her course to come for me

"Tasha, hi" I smiled politely

"It's good to see you again! I'm sorry to hear about Ivan" she placed her hand on my upper arm, I had to resist the urge to flinch.

I'd known Tasha for a long time and had always thought highly of her, but after seeing how manipulative she could be these recent years and hearing what Rose and Adrian had been talking about, I was sure enough to be careful around her.

Nodding softly to her condolences, I went to move around her when she stopped me again. This time stepping directly into my path.

"I wanted to talk to you actually once I found out you were here" she smiled sweetly

"What about?"

"I heard that you are Rose Mazur's new Guardian. How did that come about? I didn't know that you knew the Mazur's previously" she questioned, her smile faltering for half a second

"I didn't know them previously. But I did know _of_ them"

"Then why did you apply to be Rose Mazur's Guardian?"

I had a feeling I knew where this was heading.

"You could have been mine, all you had to do was call me Dimka"

There it was.

The question she would ask whenever she saw me. Or more like the offer she had for me. She'd mentioned only a couple of times before Ivan had died that she wanted me as her Guardian. Ivan had overheard her the last time she had said it and promptly shut her down. But now I'm guessing she sees me as fair game again.

"I didn't apply for the position. The Queen recommended me to Abe" I answered coolly, "Plus, I think Rose needs more protection than you do Tasha"

Tasha's ice blue eyes widened slightly at the remark but then simply dismissed the comment like she was swatting a fly from her face

"Did she even consult you on being Rose's Guardian? That is so like Tatiana, just doing things without thinking of those she will affect"

"Well, it's not like the decision she made was for her personal benefit Tasha" I stepped back so that she was no longer touching my arm, "She did it for Rose's benefit"

Tasha scoffed, "Doesn't matter Dimka, she treated you like a object she could trade as she pleased"

"I don't see it that was at all" I could feel a small frown beginning to form

"You could help Dimka!" she smiled, taking a step closer to me, eliminating the space I had just made purposely

"Help with what?"

"I've got a few Guardians…well not a few, a lot of Guardians and Dhampirs that are sick of how they are treated by the Queen…"

"Tasha" I tried interrupting

"…I've even got a few Moroi on my side…"

"Tasha" I tried once more

"A lot of people are sick of being under her rule, I just…"

"Tasha!" I growled at her, "Stop"

"Stop what Dimka?" her head cocked to the side

"Whatever it is you are doing here"

"I'm trying to help Dhampirs"

"No you aren't" I growled again, "You are trying to help yourself. People are onto you Tasha"

"No one knows anything Dimka" she scoffed

"Tasha, I'm serious. Stop what you are doing before it goes too far"

"How would you even know it's going to go bad?" she rolled her eyes

"I just do" I growled, "take my advice and leave it Tasha before it goes out of control".

With that I walked around and away from her. Wanting to get as much distance from her as possible. I might as well have been running to the gym at this point.  
As I opened the door, Rose was standing in the lobby of the gym, facing the wall.  
"Rose?" I said walking up beside her

"Hey" she whispered, not looking away from the wall, following her gaze I found what was occupying her mind.

The small pictures of fallen Guardians before us caused a stirring in me, one I was not used to. I didn't know that they had these photos up here.  
It wasn't all fallen Guardians, but the few who had achieved remarkable things while completing their duties. The kinds of things that we would be told about while we were novices.

"My mom's there" she whispered, "So is Pavel"

"Who's Pavel?"

"Pavel was Dad's Guardian. He died protecting Mom"

"How old were you?"

"Ten" she sighed

"And then came Aaron?"

"Yeah Aaron was a couple of weeks after Pavel and Mom died, and then Alessia was a couple of years after that"

I placed my hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry about what happened to her Rose"

"Yeah, well it was a long, long time ago" she sniffled, wiping away a couple of tears that had escaped her eyes

"Doesn't mean it hurts any less though"

"Guardians lay down their lives for Moroi, not other Dhampirs. We lost two guardians because of the Dhampirs living in our home"

"What are you saying Rose?'

"I'm saying that lives were lost and wasted over my mom and I. Moroi are meant to come first, not us"

I turned Rose so that she faced me, "Sofia and Pavel's death were not meaningless Rose. It doesn't matter that you and your mom are not Moroi"

"A lot of people disagree with that".

She gave me another sad smile before turning away and walking out of the gym.

* * *

I trained hard to get the conversation I had had with Tasha out of my mind. What was she going on about? Helping Dhampirs? It sounded like she was trying to create a resistance of some kind.

"Shit" I muttered as I punched the bag in front of me, coming to my senses about what Tasha had been saying before, "You've got to be kidding me".

I tore out of the gym and headed for Rose's room, grabbing my duffle bag from the ground, and throwing it over my back.

Getting to Rose's room in record time I banged on the door, when I got no response I proceeded to do it repeatedly. Giving up, I unlocked my own room and found no one in there either,

"Where the fuck is everyone?" I muttered to myself in Russian.  
Turning back out of my room I found her at the end of the hallway talking on her phone.

"I don't care how you find it out just do it" she spat in Russian over the phone, she looked around and made eye contact with me, putting one finger up in the air and mouthing " _Hold on_ "

"No Alexei, I need this done now", she waited for whatever response she was getting before hanging up the phone.

"Sorry about that" she laughed, "I'm trying to get this Tasha thing under control"

"That's actually why I was looking for you"  
She sighed, "Dimitri, I can't make allowances for her because you know her"

"No I don't expect you too, but I think I know what she's up to"

"What do you mean?" she took a step towards me

"Earlier she approached me, said some stuff about how the Queen just throws Guardians around without their consent and said that people are sick of being under Tatiana's rule"

"Fuck" Rose cursed, "This is worse than I thought then"

"Adrian was right. Whatever she is doing, its treason"

"Are you thinking she wants Tatiana out?"

"Yes. I think she's trying to possibly overthrow her"

"How could she even accomplish that?" she scoffed, "She may be a royal, but she has no power in the government or council whatsoever"

"That's why she's recruiting" I sighed

"She's going to start riots if she gets enough people on her side" Rose started pacing in the small hallway

"I doubt that she would get majority of court on her side Rose"

Rose stopped pacing suddenly, "She doesn't need a majority though"

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it Comrade. If she can get her idea into enough heads than she has control over them. She becomes the voice of power to them"

"I doubt that Tasha could become Queen, if that's what you are getting at Rose"

"Maybe she doesn't want to be Queen" Rose whispered, "Maybe she wants someone else to be"

"All the council members share the same values as Tatiana though. They are all from the same 'time'. Plus, only a Prince or Princess can take Tatiana's place. Tasha's not a Princess" I started to feel agitated, the more I thought about this the more it came together in my head

"Every other Prince and Princess agree with Tatiana. They are all pretty much the same age as her and see things form their perspective. Not ours" Rose muttered

"Not all of them Rose" I whispered

"Lissa" Rose gasped, "She wants to make Lissa Queen! It makes perfect sense!"

"Lissa is working with Tasha?!"

"No I don't think she would do anything malicious Dimitri. If she's apart of this, she probably doesn't even know it" Rose began pacing again, muttering incoherently to herself.

"Rose" I said softly, trying to stop her pacing. It didn't work however, "Rose!" I yelled it this time

"What!" she yelled back, stopping in front of me

"Please, stop pacing"

"No Dimitri. I need to think. Who can stop this?" she muttered again to herself

"Let me try" I said back

"Let you try?" she repeated, a hint of distaste in her voice, "Try what Dimitri?"

"Let me try talking to Tasha".

Rose scoffed, turning her back to me as she jumped back on her phone, "I doubt you would be able to change her mind on this scheme she's working on"

"I think I have a better chance than _anyone_ at doing exactly that" I snapped

"What makes you say that?" she turned to me, but didn't look up from her phone

"Tasha has always held an attraction to me Rose. She tried several times 'poaching' me from Ivan before he died".  
Rose laughed sharply; "She must have been ecstatic that you are my Guardian then"

"She definitely wasn't happy when she heard about it. She actually tried to withdraw me from you"

" _Withdraw_?" she said coldly, "So she tried to poach you from me like she did Ivan?"

"Like I said Rose, she has tried many times to make me her Guardian among other things"

"Other things?" Rose's eyes went wide and her hand cocked to the side of her waist, "Like romantically?"

"She has made the proposition of settling down and having kids with her multiple times".

I started feeling small beneath Rose's gaze despite my towering height over her. I'm not sure what was going through her mind, but I could see flicks of anger and jealousy cross her face as she stared at me. Her breath coming out in long huffs, almost like she was trying to calm whatever storm was brewing in her.

And suddenly, like a bucket of cold water was thrown over her, her entire face changed. Her face softened and her eyes became thoughtful, a smile crept up onto her lips.

"What?" I questioned, trying to stop a smile from forming on my own lips

"Nothing" she smiled, "I need to call Sydney"

"Sage? The Alchemist? What will she be able to do"

"Sydney has a lot of contacts. The faster we deal with this the better"

"Rose" I sighed, "Please let me try first. Before we get anyone else involved".  
Her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips, as she looked me up and down. Taking a step closer to me she looked up at me, her fingers gliding along my bicep as she stared into my eyes.

"Okay. But on one condition"

"What's that?" I asked, trying not to think about the delicate touches on my arm or the fire burning within me

"She goes" Rose whispered

"Goes?"

"She goes. She leaves Dimitri"

"Why?"

"Because with you trying to convince her not to go through with what she has planned, it leaves us exposed"

"How so?" I was starting to choke up

"If I hired someone outside to do this job like I should, we wouldn't be at risk whatsoever of exposure. But if you want to play knight in shinning armour and save her life, you better make sure she creates a new one far from Court" Rose's smile was now gone. Her teeth were clenched tight and her gaze cold

"I'll make sure of it Roza" I nodded

"Good" she smiled and stepped back from me. My bicep burning from her absent touch, "I'll keep Sydney on standby until then".

* * *

 _ **Authors Note:**_

 _Hi Readers,_

 _I got some reviews about my paragraphs needing to be spaced out more. I wasn't aware that my first chapter had condensed into so few paragraphs, therefore making it extremely difficult to read._

 _I have gone back and spaced out all of my current chapters, so hopefully they are all easier to read now._

 _Thank you so much to everyone for the kind reviews and the constructive criticism. I love reading your reviews and what you think will be happening in future chapters, so please keep leaving them!_

 _\- RCap_


	6. Time Bomb

I pulled out my phone, my thumbs fumbling as I tried to scroll through its contents looking for Tasha's number. All the names blurred before me as I scrolled through them furiously.

Rose had given me two hours to find Tasha and get her out of Court or she was calling Sydney. The time constraint was really starting to dawn on me. If I don't get Tasha out of here, she is going to die.

Finally finding Tasha's number, I wasted no time in dialling the number and waited impatiently as it rung. The phone clicked, and Tasha answered,

"Dimka?" Tasha asked when she answered the phone.

"Tasha. I need to speak to you. Where are you?" I asked furiously as I walked out of the guest housing.

"I'm-" she cut herself off "-in the middle of something now. Can't it wait?" Tasha replied slowly.

"Not exactly Tasha" I said back, my agitation coming through in my voice.

"Look Dimka. I can meet you in an hour or so" she huffed, "Can you meet me at the Guardian offices?".

"Why would you be at the Guardian offices?" I replied flatly.

"I have my reasons", the coldness in her voice concerned me.

I hesitated slightly before responding, "Okay. One hour".

I hung up and made my way to the Guardian offices. It would take me a decent twenty minutes to walk there from the guest housing, so I knew I was making good time. What I wasn't expecting was a drunk Adrian stepping into my path.

"Belikov" Adrian slurred.

"Lord Ivashkov. How can I be of assistance to you?" I asked politely, trying to hide the annoyance in my voice.

"You…can leave Rose alone" he smiled.

"It's a chore to do such a thing when I am employed as her Guardian" I sighed at the comment, Adrian's eyes narrowed and went cold.

"I don't like the look of you at all _Belikov_ " he spat, "I want you to stay away from my girlfriend".

I had to resist the urge to laugh at that. I knew that they weren't together and that he wanted more. He was obviously far more intoxicated than I originally thought though. He might have been standing up straight in front of me, but the redness of his eyes and cheeks and the scent radiating off him was enough for me to rest my case.

There was something else in his eyes though. Not just the effect of the alcohol but real pain. Much like I had seen in Rose's eyes last night. He was always hurt by Rose's disinterest in anything more with him.

Adrian was in love with Rose and he thought I was taking her away from him. I couldn't help but feel horrible for the state that Adrian was in. I may not have caused it directly, but it was horrible to see a man this distraught over a woman. Especially one that broke his heart repeatedly.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your apartment Lord Ivashkov? I think you could do well with some rest" I genuinely smiled this time, placing my hand on his shoulder.

He flinched slightly before realizing that I was being genuine and trying to help him.  
We walked in silence to Adrian's apartment, occasionally having to catch his arm when he lost his balance. We eventually made it to his apartment unscathed where Eddie was waiting for him.

"Jesus Christ, I've been looking for him everywhere! Where did you find him?" Eddie exclaimed.

"He actually found me" I sighed, "He's in bad shape but".

"I'm right here" Adrian muttered as he made his way past Eddie and attempted to unlock his door, "Fucking stupid keys".

"Here mate, let me" Eddie smiled as he took them from Adrian, "Thanks Belikov".

"It's no problem" I smiled sadly as Adrian almost fell into his apartment.

I left Adrian to Eddie's care and made my way across the grounds to the Guardian offices again, taking in the darkness around me, as well as the bustle of people starting to slow down. It was getting late into the Moroi night, sunrise wouldn't be too far way at this point.

Walking Adrian back to his apartment had taken up a decent amount of my hour before seeing Tasha. So, I started walking at a much faster pace towards the large building ahead of me. Guardian Headquarters wasn't as busy as I had expected it to be. Guardians were still around, some doing paperwork and others briskly walking through doors and around desks. I headed towards where the private offices were located and quickly found her.

Tasha was sitting in one of the private boardrooms at the large twelve-seater table. Her back facing the door as she stared distantly out of the floor to ceiling window in front of her. No one else was with her, so I took that as a go ahead to enter.

"Tasha" I said quietly, closing the door behind me.

"Dimka" She smiled as she rose from her seat and gave me me a hug, one that i ended quickly, she grimaced slightly at my coldness, "What's wrong?".

"I need to warn you about what you are trying to do" I started, "It's about to blow up in your face".

"No, its not Dimitri. It's going perfectly to plan actually" she smiled, although her words did not come out kindly.

"Is dying apart of your plan?" I asked quietly.

"Excuse me?".

"I asked if dying was apart of your plan Tasha".

"What would make you say something like that!" she began to raise her voice.

"The Queen knows what you are doing. It's high treason. They want you gone" I said sternly, trying to get my point across as easily and coherently as possible.

"Who's they Dimka? The Queen?".

"Among other people" I said, averting eye contact this time.

It took her a couple of seconds to piece it all together, "That's why the Mazur's are here isn't it!" she was yelling now, "To ' _get rid_ ' of me!".

I couldn't answer her, and she took that as confirmation.

"So what Dimka? You work for Abe Mazur now?" Tasha yelled, tears forming in her eyes.

"I was given this chance to talk to you as a favour. I had to practically beg for this Tasha" I growled back.

"They are threatening my fucking life!".

"And I'm trying to get you out of here alive" I hissed at her.

"I seriously doubt that Dimitri" venom dripping from her voice as she said my name, "Rose has you under her spell and you would almost anything for her. Including killing me!".

"That's not how it is Tasha! They were organising your 'hit' and I stopped it!" now I was yelling back at her.

"How could you have possibly stopped that" she scoffed.

"Because I knew you and I said that I could get you to stop whatever it was that you were doing and leave. Rose is only giving me this one shot".

Tasha just stared at me, the anger in her eyes gone, replaced with fear, "Tasha, if I can't get through to you right now, then I have no idea how much time you have left".

I stared at her for several seconds, watching as my words raked her thoughts. Whatever look was currently displayed on my face must have shown her something that changed her mind and convinced her I was telling the truth.

"Are thy really going to kill me?" she whispered. Any anger in her voice had been completely replaced by fear.

I nodded, "If not _her,_ then the Moroi Govermenr. They will execute you for high treason".

"Where do I even go Dimka" her voice shaky and frightened.

"I'm not sure Tasha. Anywhere but Court. Leave the Moroi world and stay in human cities".

"I-I can't just start over Dimka" Tasha stammered, "Not alone".

"Yes, you can and you have to. This is the only chance I have to save your life Tasha. Please don't waste the time you have" I pleaded.

My phone began to ring in the pocket; I knew that it would be Rose telling me that my time was up. My hand twitched to take it from my pocket, Tasha noticing my hesitation instantly.

"Is that Rose?" she whispered.

"I assume so".

"My time is up?".

I nodded sadly, "You need to go now Tasha. Leave Court. I'll make sure you get out within the hour safely".

Tasha looked frantically between the door and myself before giving me a final look. One filled with hatred. She may be leaving Court today, but I didn't think for one second that she was done.

I took the still ringing phone out of my pocket, seeing it was indeed Rose calling me.

"It's done. She's on her way out. She will be gone within the hour" I said, answering the phone.

"How do you know that she will stay away?" Rose said bitterly.

"I trust that she has taken my warning seriously" not that I believed my own words.

"Good. You have no need to escort her to the gate though. We have someone watching her. You need to go and pack".

"Are we going back to Turkey already?" I asked confused.

"No, we aren't done here. But, we are going to Seattle for a couple of days".

"When do we leave?".

"Tomorrow night" I could almost hear the smile on Rose's face, "I'm going to get a drink though. Care to join me?".

* * *

The bar was no less depressing than it had been twenty-four hours ago. Granted, there were a lot more people in here since it was well into the Moroi night. I could see where Rose had gotten a booth to herself.

She was eying the amber liquid inside her glass as she swirled it in her hands, making the small ice-cubes clink together before taking a sip. I couldn't help but watch her for a few short moments while she hadn't noticed me.

She was beautiful. She had left her long dark hair loose and flowing around her and she wasn't dressed in her normal 'business attire' but that didn't mean she wasn't dressed up. One thing I had noticed while working with Rose was that she took a lot of pride in her appearance. She didn't dress down, she always dressed up. Her dark blue skinny jeans had been paired with an off the shoulder black top. Her hair carefully placed to cover her scars.

I planned to watch her for a couple more minutes before she caught me. She had been looking around the room when her gaze fell on me. My heart swelled as her face lit up and her previously solemn features became a gorgeous smile. It wasn't like the ones she gave at business meetings either, this smile showed in her eyes as well, all her features coming to life before me.

I made my way to the booth where she was still sitting, drinking in all her features as she continued to stare at me.

"Dimitri" she smiled as she acknowledged me.

"Roza" I smiled back.

The air was thick around us, I quickly waved over one of the waitresses to get a glass of vodka. Once I had my drink and was sitting opposite her in the booth, I started the conversation. Albeit, I could have chosen a better subject.

"You should let Adrian down easy".

Rose's features didn't waver, she didn't blink or react to the comment. After a few seconds however, she looked back down at her glass, "He knows that I don't see him that way. We had an arrangement that worked for both of us" her voice stern, but she still had the smile on her face.

"Had?" I questioned, "I was under the impression it was still continuing".

She shook her head, "I had a chat to him earlier tonight".

"That would explain him lashing out at me" I scoffed.

"Did he?" she laughed, the sound making my stomach knot with anticipation, "That's bold of him".

"He called you his girlfriend".

"I was never going to be in a relationship with Adrian and he knew that from the beginning".

"Then why did he lash out at me, why not you?" I asked, my eyes glaring slighting at her.

"Might have something to do with how we were fine for like four years, and then suddenly I'm at Court with a new Guardian and turning down his advances" she shrugged as she took a sip of her drink.

"He thinks there is something going on between us?" I raised an eyebrow, awaiting whatever response she would conjure. Hoping she would say the one I wanted to hear.

"Isn't there?" she smiled.

* * *

We ended the night in Rose's room, both of us extremely intoxicated, with a bottle of vodka that we had purchased from the bartender. As we stumbled into Rose's room laughing I noticed the immense difference in her room compared to the one I shared with the other guardians. Ours was a medium sized room with three single beds lined against the wall, with a separate bathroom and small kitchenette. It wasn't badly decorated, but it was no Royal housing that was for sure.

Rose's room on the other hand was like a studio apartment. A large double bed on the back wall with a more improved kitchenette next to it. The door to her bathroom was open and it showed that it didn't just have a shower like ours did, but also a bath and a large dressing area.

Rose situated herself on the bed, while I grabbed glasses from her kitchen. Pouring us both drinks that were too big, I sat next to her on the bed as we continued to laugh and joke with each other.

It felt so comfortable being with her. We talked about anything and we never had a moment where it felt weird or awkward. Being with her was so easy, once I had broken down those walls there was a good person underneath, much like Aaron had told me there was.

When the sun was almost completely in the sky, the alcohol finally took its toll on Rose. She began to pass out, but not before getting me to help her take off her stiletto heels. As I was fairly intoxicated myself, the small and simple buckle proved more difficult for me. Both Rose and I ending up in hysterics over my inability to complete such a simple task. Eventually her shoes were taken off and she quickly got changed into a simple oversized t-shirt.

I tired to think about anything but her new attire and how much of her legs it exposed, I tried to thing about anything that would distract me from the urge I had to reach out and touch her. To kiss her.

She got into bed and rolled over to go to sleep. With her safely in the confines of the bed sheets, I stood up to go to my own bed.

"Stay" she mumbled before I had even taken a couple of steps.

"What?" I choked out.

"Stay" she murmured again, the hint of a smile forming on her face.

"I shouldn't Roza" I sighed.

"Please?".

And that did it. Just a single word. I chucked softly to myself as I kicked off my shoes. Stripping down to my boxers, I slipped into the bed beside her, she nestled herself into the crook of my arm, pressing her back up against my chest. She took my arm and wrapped it protectively around her waist.

 _I could get used to this_. I thought to myself as we both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The private plane we were boarding was much different to the one we had arrived at court on. This one didn't have several rows to pick from, it simply had eight plush, leather lounges on it, however it was equipped with a small bar at the back of the plane as well as further luxuries commercial flying didn't give you.

Rose settled easily into one of the chairs situated by a window before rummaging around through her bag. I sat opposite her, still looking around the plane, taking in the emergency exits and noticing the single flight attendant doing some final checks near the cockpit.

"Relax Comrade" Rose muttered, still rifling through the bag on her lap, "It's only like five hours or so. We will be landing around lunch time".

I raised an eyebrow, "A human's lunch time you mean?".

"Yeah, so use this opportunity to get some sleep" she glared into the bag,

"What are you even looking for Roza?" I sighed.

"My fucking headphones. I swear I brought them with me" she muttered, "Ha! Got them" she held them up valiantly before discarding her bag to the open seat beside her.

The engines began to roar to life as I let myself relax into the chair. The hum of the plane and the feel of it run along the runway calming any unsettling feelings in me. I was gently pushed back into my seat as I felt us leave the runway fully.

Looking out of the window beside me, I saw the remainders of Court get smaller and smaller until it was completely unrecognisable.

"Would you like a coffee Sir?" the Moroi air hostess asked once we were at full altitude

"Please" I nodded.

She looked to Rose, "Madam?".

"I'd prefer a vodka soda actually" Rose smiled sweetly to the hostess.

"Of course, I'll be back in a moment" the hostess smiled to both of us before going behind the bar at the back of the plane.

"Little early for vodka isn't it Rose?" I asked stiffly, my words almost an exact dictation of Eddie's yesterday.

"Not for us, it's night time for us" she winked as the hostess set our drinks onto the small tables beside our chairs.

We sat in silence for much of the trip. I was engrossed is the book in the book I had in my hands, although I would occasionally glance up at Rose, who was tapping away at the tablet resting up against her thigh. She hummed along to the song she was listening to through her headphones while her raised foot tapped along with it.

When we reached the final hour of our journey, the curiosity of why we were going to Seattle finally got the better of me. Rose was no longer listening to music or using her tablet, so I used my opportunity.

"So, what is actually in Seattle Rose?" I asked eventually.

"An old friend" she answered, transferring her gaze from the clouds outside of the window to me.

"So, this isn't a business trip?" I asked wearingly.

"No, it's more personal. You're about to step into a different world Comrade".

"How so?" I scoffed.

"You think that we are the only unnatural beings in this world?" Rose's head cocked to the side.

"As in vampires?".

"There are other beings of _evil_ out there" she smirked, "You'll see what I mean almost immediately".

Rose got up from her seat and gave me a small wink before heading for the bar at the back. She grabbed the bottle of Belvedere Vodka from its place and two clean glasses. she strolled back over so that she was standing before me. The two glasses in one hand, the vodka in her other hand.

"Now I know it's not Russian Vodka, but I quite like the smoothness of this Polish Vodka" she smiled.

"Vodka is not meant to be smooth Roza" I chuckled, "It's meant to pack a punch".

"Have a drink with me then" she sat down in the empty chair beside me, rather that her original chair that was opposite me.

"I'm on duty" I answered sternly.

"We are like forty-thousand feet into the air Comrade!" she cried, "No Strigoi or shifty Moroi are going to get us up here".

I didn't answer right away as she swung the bottle lightly in her hand, a devilish smile appearing on her face.

"One drink Roza" I sighed.

Rose's face beamed with happiness as she poured both of us a small glass, she held her glass in front of her.

" _To us_ " she toasted in Russian.

" _To us_ " I toasted as both of us threw back the drinks.

She smiled cunningly at me as she took my glass from me, returning the bottle and glasses to their places on the bar. As she walked away from me, I was able to take in more of her. Her casual attire was dressed up with a pair of strapped heels that did amazing things for her legs. Her entire body entranced me as she walked.

"Why to us?" I managed to get out.

"Well," she began before turning to me, "We've been dancing around each other for almost two weeks. We've have a couple of close calls. The other night especially".

"How was that a close call?" I asked gruffly, "You were trying to seduce me".

"It worked didn't it? You said that it worked" she smiled before standing in front of me again.

"Maybe" I muttered. My Guardian face was up, but my voice betrayed me. She seemed to enjoy my answer as she moved closer to me. She leant over so that he hands were on the arms rests on either side of me, her mouth dangerously close to mine.

"Tell me you don't feel anything for me and I'll leave you alone" she whispered, her lips close enough that they almost grazed my own as she spoke.

"I can't" I whispered back.

"You can't what Dimitri? Can't you deny your feelings for me?".

Her lips brushed mine, sending shivers down my entire body. I grabbed her wrists beside me warningly.

"Roza" I growled warningly.

"Push me away then Dimitri" she murmured as her eyes stared deep into me.

I couldn't though. I did the exact opposite. Using my grip on her wrists, I pulled her towards me, my lips crashing onto hers. I didn't have a chance to register what I had done before Rose reacted. She sunk into the kiss, making it more demanding and urgent as I pulled her onto me, so she was straddling me. The large seats leaving plenty of room for her legs to make homage beside my own.

I pressed my tongue to the seam of her lips and with her permissions I delved inside her mouth. Both of our tongues exploring each other, the taste of the Vodka lingering in both of our mouths. Her soft lips caressing mine with passion and urgency as she raked her hand through my hair, coming to rest behind my neck.

A low growl came from my throat, and it only seemed to excite Rose further. Her hips arching upwards so that she rubbed against me. She let out of muffled moan of her own as she pulled her lips from me. I looked at her before me, taking in every up-close detail I could find. Like the green flecks in her brown eyes and the slight puffing of her lips after the rough kissing.

Warmth radiated from my lips and along my body from where she was pressed closely up against me. the pilot's announcement of our impending landing broke the spell for half a second. Rose shifted off me and settled back into her own seat, her gaze still hungry as she stared at me.

"I'm glad we agree then" she smiled.

* * *

A car was waiting for us on the tarmac when we landed, the smartly dressed driver standing with the door open for us as we walked down the steps of the plane.

"Miss Mazur" he smiled, "It's a pleasure to see you again".

"Ditto Freddie" she smiled back, "This is Dimitri" she nodded back to me behind her.

"It's nice to meet you Dimitri" Freddie smiled also to me, "Where to today?"

"Emerald. I have an old friend to see".

I followed Rose into the back of the Audi town car, Freddie closing the door softly behind me. It felt strange to have someone opening and closing doors for me. The car sped off to the exit and I was on immediate alert. We were safe in the air, but we were back on land now, no wards protecting us.

"Where are we going Rose?" I questioned,

"You ask so many questions. Just be patient. You can get a coffee while we are there" she laughed.

Not knowing where we were going, nor what I was expecting made the twenty minutes car ride feel like a life time.

Eventually, we pulled up in front of a large building in the bustle of a Seattle neighbourhood.  
Rose thanked Freddie for the lift and asked him to be back in forty-five minutes to take us to the hotel.

She strolled towards the double story building that took up a decent portion of the block, walking through the main door. I managed to catch a look at the awning hanging over the doors that read:

 ** _Emerald City Books & Café_**

"Interesting" I muttered to myself.

A bookstore was the last place I would expect Rose to hang out in.

We made our way through the busy commercial bookstore until we reached the second floor which doubled as a café by the looks of it. I began scanning the area around me, taking in the small details like the amount of people as well as exits and entries. Rose however, was searching for something different than me.

Her body automatically relaxed when her gaze settled on a small table near the window where a woman in her late twenties sat opposite a man with a laptop. She didn't get a few steps towards the table before the young woman sitting down looked to her. Her face filling with delight at the sight of Rose.

"Rose!" she smiled, her smile almost knocking me off my feet.

I don't know what had come over me, but my entire body became entranced by the brunette walking towards Rose and me. Every nerve in my body felt like it had been set on fire. Desire filled me and my jaw clenched as I watched her body move towards us.

Rose coughed softly, her eyes darting from the woman to me for half a second. I instantly felt dirty for my reaction and scolded myself. Taking a step closer to Rose protectively, it relaxed me and seemed to do the same for her. Why did I have such a reaction to this unknown woman? Especially after what had happened between Rose and I on the flight.

"Georgina" Rose sighed back happily.

* * *

 ** _Authors Note:_**

 _Hi Readers,_

 _For those who are not aware of Richelle Mead's more adult novels, Georgina Kincaid will be a new name for you._

 _I said that I was going to do a small cross over between Rose and another strong female Richelle created and that is Georgina._

 _I have tried to blur the lines between the two worlds they live in and make them work with each other. I did have heaps of fun writing the next chapter I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. In the end, FF is always a fun way to bring your favourite characters together._

 _\- RCap_


	7. Hell Bound

_**Author's Note:**_

 _Hi Readers,_

 _This is a * **SPOILER WARNING*** for those who have not read the Georgina Kincaid Series. The next couple of chapters are set in the time between **Succubus Heat** and **Succubus Shadows**._

 _Without giving away too much, there is so much that happens in the first five books in the Georgina Kincaid Series (which I highly recommend you read) that it is practically impossible for me to write a cross over without spoilers._

 _So, I apologise in advance if I spoil anything in the books for you, but this is your **Warning!** Enjoy though!_

 _\- RCap_

* * *

There was something about this Georgina that made me unable to take my eyes off her. As much as I hated to admit it, she was beautiful and I couldn't stop the pull of attraction to her. I couldn't help but study the length of her long brown hair, not nearly as dark as Rose's, but it still hung in a similar way to hers. I couldn't pry myself away from the curves of her body. The way her hips swayed as she walked towards us made me hold my breath in anticipation of her getting closer to us.

Once she was close enough she embraced Rose, her impossibly high heels still not high enough to match Rose's height. They both may be small women, but Rose's feet were constantly adorned with the expensive heels which gave her 5'7 height a powerful edge. Whenever I heard the clicking of her heels coming towards me, my heart would speed up in anticipation. That is power.

"Where's Sofia?" Georgina asked Rose, looking at myself and then behind us, concern plastered on her face.

Rose looked up at me beside her, her mouth agape with words she didn't know how to say.

"Guardian Kaya was killed unfortunately" I said solemnly still looking down at Rose as her eyes filled with pain.

"Are you Sofia's replacement then?" Georgina asked me, the same pain I had seen in Rose's eyes becoming known in Georgina's as well.

"Dimitri Belikov" I nodded slowly as I formally introduced myself to Georgina,

"Georgina Kincaid" she smiled sweetly.

Her smile, once again, almost knocked me off my feet. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled as a power radiated off of her. A power that would have me on my knees before her if she asked me to. There was something else about this power I was feeling. It was almost entrancing, like I was being compelled or something. I sunk into her eyes as she smiled, feeling myself detach from my own body until the firm cough of another man brought me back to myself.

Breaking eye contact with Georgina released whatever hold she had had over me, relaxing my body instantly from it's stiff stance. I now looked into the disapproving eyes of the man that had been behind the laptop before. His gaze was hard and cold, however, I think he knew that it didn't matter how much he stared at me, I wasn't intimidated by him.

"This is Seth" Georgina cut in softly, breaking the tension between out gazes.

Rose nudged me with her elbow however I refused to put down my Guardian mask. I had an image of stone and I wasn't going to let that falter in the presence of anyone.

"Rose Mazur" Rose smiled as she shook hands with Seth, "This is Dimitri Belikov" Rose placed her hand softly on my bicep as she introduced me. I shook the hand that Seth had left out as a pure curtesy. I didn't like the look he was giving me for no apparent reason and he wasn't a superior of mine, so I failed to see a reason for undying respect.

"Seth is a writer, you might have heard of his work? Seth Mortensen" Georgina looked between Rose and I questioningly, once again trying to break the tension that was building up more and more between Seth and I.

"I live in Turkey remember Georgie" Rose laughed, the name not ringing a bell for Rose either apparently.

"Turkey? Really?" Seth finally spoke.

"Yeah, born and bred" Rose smiled, "Dimitri here is from Russia" Rose smiled up at me as I nodded respectfully.

"Remember before Comrade, I was telling you how we aren't the only evil things out there?" Rose smiled as did Georgina.

I looked between the women and Seth, comparing the power that was coming off of Georgina to the human standing next to her. I figured out from the start that Georgina wasn't human but that didn't mean I had worked out what she was.

I coughed uncomfortably and looked down at Rose, searching for some kind of comfort. Her eyes held it. Looking into her eyes, it was like coming home. She smiled lovingly up at me as she laced her arm through mine, "She's a succubus," Rose whispered in my ear.

My confusion must have been all over my face as both Rose and Georgina laughed at me. Before I had a chance to ask what that even was, Seth cut in.

"What are you guys then?" he abruptly said, cutting of the girl's laughter,

"They are called Dhampirs" Georgina smiled at Seth, "Vampires".

"Like Cody and Peter?".

Rose snorted at that, "Hardly! We are nothing like _those_ vampires".

"What makes you guys so different?" Seth questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"We aren't owned by Hell" she smirked, "We only have one Vampire parent as well".

"So Cody and Peter can _reproduce_?" Seth's eyes went wide.

"No they can't" Georgina smiled sadly.

"But they-" Seth started before Georgina cut him off.

"Cody and Peter were made Vampires by their contracts. The Vampires that Rose and Dimitri originate from are natural".

"Well as natural as we can get. We're still freaks of nature" Rose laughed.

We all sat down at the table that Georgina and Seth has previously been occupying and continued to chat. Rose and Georgia caught up on their lives; it had been a few years since Rose had last seen her by the sounds of their recaps.

I did however notice that Seth hadn't stopped staring at me. I attempted to avoid eye contact, but I found myself caught up in his gaze constantly. Why was he so focused on me?

"What are you replacing?" he said below his breath. Soft enough that Georgina hadn't heard him, Rose had though. She shifted slightly, her eyes darting to me in her peripheral vision before back to Georgina. She was letting me handle Seth with his questions solo.

"Sofia was Rose's Guardian. After Sofia died, our Queen appointed me as Rose's new Guardian"

"Guardian? Queen?" Seth asked, more astonishment showing in his voice at the mention of us having a Queen.

"Dhampirs are Guardians to the Moroi we serve. I'm Rose's Guardian." I said flatly

"I thought Rose was a Dhampir like you?"

"She is. But she's a special case" I smirked

Seth opened his mouth to say something but was cut off when a new voice piped into the conversation. Cutting the conversation off completely, I shifted to see two people standing before us.

"Kincaid, why haven't you introduced me to your friend?" the male newcomer asked. His smile widened as he looked down at Rose next to me. The woman he was with moved around the other side of us and pulled up a chair next to Seth. Her sparkly engagement ring practically shinning in my eyes as she draped her hand over Seth's.

"Doug, Maddie, this is Rose _and_ Dimitri. Friends from Turkey" Georgina filled in,

"I didn't know that you had been to Turkey," Doug questioned as he tightened the ponytail he had his jet-black hair encased in.

"I haven't, but that's where Rose and Dimitri live" she smiled sweetly at Doug; there was something in her eyes though, almost like a warning.

Doug dismissed the warning and looked past Rose, making eye contact with me, "Doug Sato" he introduced, holding his hand in front of him

I looked at it for half a second, "Dimitri Belikov" I shook hard, probably harder than I should of shook a humans hand.

"Are you two siblings like me and Maddie?" he asked as he pointed to the woman who as sitting between Seth and I.

"No Doug, Dimitri is not my brother" I could hear the smile in her words as Doug's smile fell. I placed my hand on Rose's thigh, strengthening the warning that Georgina had given him a few seconds prior.

"Listen, I'm actually having a housewarming party tonight!" Georgina finally said, breaking the tension that had suddenly erupted, "I'd love for you guys to come! It's dress up. Hugh will be there as well, I know its been ages since you've seen him"

"We'd love to Georgie. Give us a time and address" Rose smiled as she placed her hand on top of mine on her thigh.

"Perfect! I'll text you the address and everything. For now, I actually have to steal you away"

Rose arched her brow questingly as Georgina leapt from her seat before grabbing Rose's arm and dragging her away. I stood up as quickly, nodding to the group still sitting before catching up to the girls.

"Weird guy" I heard Doug laugh as I walked away.

I followed the girls into an office that was tucked away from all the customers. Closing the door softly behind me, Georgina immediately became hostile.

"Rose! She is driving me fucking insane!" she yelled as she paced around the room, all traces of the calm and graceful person that was sitting at the table with us was gone and replaced with a the fiery one in front of us.

"Who? Maddie?" Rose asked

"Yeah her! She's wont stop harassing me with wedding plans" Georgina collapsed into a desk chair, which I can only assume was her own.

"Wait why are her plans bothering you so much?" Rose asked, placing on hand on her hip and raising her brow again

"Cause it's her and Seth's wedding" Georgina muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest.

I knew straight away that wasn't the kind of meeting I wanted to be in, "Roza, i'm going to wait out in the hall" I interrupted awkwardly.

"Yeah that's fine Comrade. I can handle this crisis on my own" she laughed as I slipped out of the door and stationed myself near the wall while I waited for the drama to unfold behind the closed door.

* * *

Our hotel was something else.

With the wealth that Abe and Rose have, I wouldn't have expected Rose to settle for a mediocre hotel. She went all out.

The lobby was tiled in a fine marble that made Rose's steps echo. She was a few paces ahead of me when she made her way to the check in desk. I didn't go up right beside her, I hung back and assessed the area we were walking into. There were three Guardians stationed in different parts of the lobby, Guardians that blended in effortless with the furniture they were standing that still. One grunted in acknowledgement as Rose passed him.

The young Moroi woman behind the desk immediately jumped from her chair, clambering to get words out, "Mi-Miss Mazur"

"Oh hush Amelia" Rose snapped at her, "I'm sure Sydney set up our stay?"

"Yes, of course she did" the slightest tinge of red showing on her cheeks as she looked behind Rose at me

"Did you want me to organise a certain room or...?"

"One will be fine" Rose said sharply, "This hotel is owned by the Monarchy Comrade. Relax a little" she didn't even look back at me when she spoke, just leaned forward on the desk, one of her legs crossing behind the other as she whispered something incoherently to Amelia, something that made her big blue eyes go even wider and her cheeks go an even deeper red.

Rolling my eyes, I strode up to the desk and placed my palm on the small of Rose's back, "How many Guardians are stationed here?" I asked Amelia

"It depends off the time of day sir" Amelia answered sweetly, "More Guardians will clock on just before sundown"

"The Strigoi population is very scarce here" Rose smiled sweetly

"Why's that?" I couldn't see why a place like Seattle wouldn't be crawling with Strigoi, it seemed like the perfect hunting ground for them

"We have the local Demon to thank for that" Amelia spoke up, "Jerome prefers his Vampires to be the only ones hunting on his territory"

"And because Strigoi aren't owned by hell, he can smite out as many as he likes" Rose grinned

I didn't know how much more I could take of this Hell talk. Rose had said that Seattle was a whole different experience than what we were used to but I didn't think she meant Demon talk. I still wasn't sure what a Succubus actually was.

Amelia checked us in and gave us quick directions to where our room was located.

As soon as we were behind closed doors Rose sighed loudly and threw her light denim jacket onto the large bed planted to the right of us. She pratically charged for the mini bar on the other side of the room, flinging its door open and pulling out the mini bottle of vodka and a can of lemonade. Pouring the entire contents of the vodka into a tall class and topping it off with the lemonade, I watched from the other side of the room as she downed the entire glass.

"I'm sure as hell not dressing up tonight" Rose laughed sharply, "I'll dress nice and maybe throw on a witches hat or something".

* * *

Sure enough, Rose didn't dress up. She simply got Freddie to stop off at a Dollar Store so she could run in and grab a witches hat. She however, came out with a press on pair or fangs.

"Really?" I scoffed as she looked into her compact and applied the stick on vampire fangs to her real teeth

"I saw an opportunity and I took it Comrade" She laughed smiling at me, annoyingly, the fangs suited her.

Her choice of attire hadn't escaped me though, her all black outfit only broken up only by the bright red stilettos and lipstick she wore. I had to restrain myself from making any advances on her when she had revealed herself.

"Loosen up a bit yeah. Have some fun tonight"

"I'm on duty again Rose, I can't shirk my responsibilities" I scoffed

"Georgina's place is going to be _crawling_ with immortals, both of us are perfectly safe with them around" she laughed, "Plus, you haven't had much time to relax in the past couple of weeks".

She was right. I hadn't. I had been so caught up in all the meetings and the trip to court, that I hadn't actually relaxed and taken time to myself. But I didn't want time to myself. Cause when I was alone, I was alone with my thoughts. They plagued me with inner conflict over what I was getting involved with. What would mama think of me if she knew I was working in Zmey's house? Would she be disappointed in my new lack of morals that I had always prided myself on.

I knew what Abe and Rose were dealing with was dangerous and illegal. Their lives were not without tragedy though. But they were strong people. Maybe Rose's strength is what attracted me to her. Yes she is extremely beautiful and I dream of lacing her silky hair around my fingers and staring into her brown eyes. If she gave me a chance, I would kiss every scar she has. I would leave no part of her unloved. But her strength is what captured me.

It radiated off her like a scent, her body, a weapon in itself that has been tested throughout the years. Her traumas making her the woman she is sitting beside me now.

We walked up to the condo that was by the beach, music and chatter echoing out of the house onto the street around us. The front door swinging open before we had a chance to knock or let ourselves in.

A tall man dressed as the devil stood in the door way. His green eyes gleaming as he took in Rose and myself,

"So you're the Dhampirs" he smirked

"You must be the Nephilim" Rose smirked back,

"Ah yes, dear Georgina must have filled you in" he laughed as he stepped to the side allowing us into the house.

The house was almost packed with people, some dressed up to the extremes and some doing as little as Rose. I spotted others who radiated the same power that Georgina had, the Nephilim before me didn't however. I would have simply thought he was human. I regarded him questioningly, my mind trying to figure out why he seemed human to me.

"If your gonna stare, let me introduce myself" he announced gallantly, "I'm Roman, Georgina's roommate and former lover" he winked and nudged me softly at the mention of 'lover'.

"Rose, and this is Dimitri" Rose giggled

"In all my years, I've never met a Dhampir that was the Guardian for a fellow Dhampir" he quickly grabbed two cups from the table behind him and poured vodka into them, handing one to Rose and motioning me to take the other one

"I'm on duty" I said, raising one hand slightly

"Come on man, I'm half Angel for fucks sake! Rose is in good hands under this roof".

I looked over at Rose dubiously, "Give us immortals some credit" Roman added as I waited for Rose to dismiss me for the night. I still wasn't comfortable to not be on duty around such a different group of people but Roman was convincing.

"You're dismissed Belikov" Rose purred as she took the second cup from Roman's hand and passed it to me.


	8. Passions

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hi Readers,_

 _Once again, this is a * **SPOILER WARNING*** for those who have not read the Georgina Kincaid Series. This chapter is still set in the time between **Succubus Heat** and **Succubus Shadows**. The story will be returning to its regular motion during the next chapter._

 _There is also a **MAJOR SPOILER** for the final book **Succubus Revealed** in this chapter. If you don't want to read it, please skip the section that begins and ends with ' **(Spoilers Below)** '._

 _\- RCap_

* * *

True to my vow of protection, the drink Rose handed me was my only one of the night. I needed to ensure I was of right mind if anything should happen to her. She was my responsibility. I watched her from afar as she interacted with Georgina's friends, both immortal and human and glided between the open rooms of the house.

The messy lounge room that I had followed Rose into, had bottles strewn all over the floor just begging for someone to trip on them. If it hadn't been for my Dhampir reflexes, I would have fallen victim to exactly that. She came to rest against the far back wall, leaning up against it as she fiddled with her cup. I followed her and leant up next to her.

"I would hate to see the guy I love marry another woman," Rose abruptly said once I had settled next to her.

Her brown eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks flushed from her drinking, even her steps were a tad sluggish. Her long hair had been tied into a high ponytail and it flicked me with every turn of her head.

"Hmm?" I mumbled

"Georgina" she sighed, pointing with her cup to Georgina, who was dressed as Little Bo Peep talking with Seth and his fiancée Maddie.

"Georgina loves Seth?" I really didn't want to get involved in the drama of people I didn't know or associated with, but the concern plastered on Rose's face told me that it wasn't something she liked her friend being around.

"They were involved. He cheated on her with Maddie" she sighed

"That's horrible!" I growled, "How could any man betray someone they care about like that?"

Rose shrugged, "Beats me. Maddie doesn't know but. So she keeps trying to drag Georgina into her wedding planning"

"Does that explain the outburst in her office earlier?"

"Yep. I tried to calm her down, but that Seth guy has really fucked her up" Rose finished off her drink before discarding the red cup on the nearest table "She's a succubus that wishes she was human" she sighed sadly.

I couldn't see how she had handled all that was going on around us. Nephilim? Succubi? Demons? Before today I didn't know there was even anything else that fell into the same category as us, but now it had hit me with full force.

"Rose what is going on here?" I sighed annoyingly

"What do you mean?" She asked, genuine confusion showing on her face

"Here in this house. All these 'immortals' as that guy Roman said. You haven't filled me in on anything"

Rose looked at me for a few seconds before replying, "Hell is real Comrade. The immortals in this rooms signed contracts with one of Hell's Imp thereby selling their souls to Hell. All except Roman"

"Why would anyone sell their soul?"

"They all have their reasons Dimitri. Some more than others I guess. They made mistakes in their mortal lives and wanted them fixed" Rose snapped defensively.

"And then they become these… _things_?"

"Yep, and they further Hell more by buying more souls or condemning them".

As Rose explained more and more to me, her face didn't waver. It was blank and almost emotionless. She told me about the Arch Demon in Seattle. Jerome. That he didn't like our kind and she would need his permission before visiting Georgina. Before visiting his territory.

She explained what Georgina did for Hell and why she had had such an effect on me earlier. The further she delved into the life of the immortals here the more I felt ill. There was a whole other supernatural force among us that we had no clue existed. They were that good at covering themselves up, that we are completely oblivious to it behind our wards.

Eventually, Rose let the alcohol get the better of her and I practically had to carry her out of the house. Roman offered to help me get her to the car, but I waved him off respectfully and asked him to say goodbye for Rose and I to Georgina.

Once we were in the car, Freddie began the journey back to the hotel. Not even two minutes into the trip, Rose leaned over into my lap. Resting her head on my leg, I watched as her eyes fluttered closed and her hand that rested on my leg go limp.

It took me a couple of seconds to assess what was happening below me. She was just tired and intoxicated, so I let me hand rest protectively on her shoulder, my fingers tapping along with the music playing softly on the radio.

 _You're in my blood_

I let my fingers dance across the flawless skin of her shoulder and arm. As they brushed her carefully, small shocks shot all through my body.

 _You're in my veins_

She nestled comfortably in my lap, her breathing slow and steady as she slept. I couldn't help but observe her from above. She looked at peace while she slept.

 _You're in my head_

She was in my head. She had wormed her way in from the moment I had first seen her. She consumed all my thoughts, my dreams and my desires. I no longed protected her because I was told to, but because I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to her.

I thought about how she had brought my emotions to the surface. My jealousy over Adrian and Zachariah had been instantaneous without me even knowing her or their personal situations. I had been protective over her since the second I saw her.

My heart had broken for her when I'd seen the scars that covered her body and when she spoke about the death of her mom. She was a troubled young woman and although she had her father's love, she needed more and she deserved more.

Before realizing it, I had begun stroking her cheek. She seemed to relax further into my touch, almost melting into it. Looking down at her sleeping form, it was like all my breath was being taken from my lungs.

I traced her bottom lip with the pad of my thumb as it pouted slightly. It filled me with an urge to kiss it and make it mine, much like she had done with me during our flight to Seattle. Her lip felt soft under my light touch, grazing into each divot of that lip, as if it were an ancient map.

I wish she had known how painful my fixation on her was becoming, how falling in love with her was tearing me apart from the inside. I kept trying to find reasons for me not to feel this way, reasons to tear me away from her. But I just couldn't. I couldn't leave her. I needed her just as much as she needed me to protect her.

Her presence filled me with warmth, warmth that I hadn't felt since my much younger days. I had lived log enough to known that what I felt for her I couldn't replicate with someone else. I could be assigned to a Moroi halfway across the world and I would still have a reason to return to her.

The woman below me was quickly becoming my entire world.

* * *

I was expecting Rose to sleep much into the day, which is why I was surprised that she was up and about at 8am.

She was applying her makeup in the mirror of the bathroom while taking casual sips of coffee. She was already dressed as well. Her heels clicking along as she moved across the tiled floor. There was something different about her this morning. There wasn't the normal glistening in her eyes nor her confidence.

"What's going on Roza?" I mumbled as I threw the sheets off me

"I have to meet with the Arch Demon" she said, her voice shaking slightly as she spoke

"Why?"

"I don't know" she whispered as a sad smile appeared on her face.

An hour later we were waiting patiently in the back room of a bar. It was a simple room, with the walls painted a hospital green-beige and a floor that had old and worn grey carpet. The lighting was adequate at best, a single cold white light hung above some of the only furniture that the room had. A small wooden circle table with three chairs placed around it. Nothing about the room screamed safe or sanitary. It was dark and worrying. Rose sat down in one of the wooden chairs and placed her purse on the ground next to her. She played with the knee length hem of her tight black skirt as her knee bounced up and down rapidly.

Even though I was standing against the wall off to the side of her, I could still feel her nerves radiating off her. I had never seen her in this state before a 'meeting'. She was always so calm and confident. She looked petrified and she even jumped slightly when the door flung open and someone who I can only assume was Jerome walked in.

 _Why does he look like John Cusack?_

"Rosemarie" Jerome muttered as he closed the door behind him. Rose didn't look his way, nor did she get up to greet him.

"It's been a while Jerome" she said softly, averting eye contact.

"How have you been?" He asked slyly.

I wanted to wipe the shit-eating grin that was plastered across his face. Rose had warned me about him though.

 _"Whatever happens in that room Comrade, I need to you stay against the wall. Don't come running the rescue if things get out of hand. He won't hurt me, but he will kill you if you get in his way. Please trust me"._

I had to keep playing those words repeatedly in my head to keep myself in check.

"Can we skip the pleasantries Jerome. What do you want this time?" Rose announced, her voice slightly stronger but there was still fear in her voice.

 **(Spoilers Below)**

"He's on his last life Rosemarie. I need to make sure you weren't encouraging a relationship between them while you have been here"

"I wasn't" she whispered, "I can see how much she's hurting though. You really think they will be able to stay away from each other until he dies?"

"I bring in the people I need to ensure that doesn't happen" Jerome said through gritted teeth, frustration showing in his eyes, "It just so happens you are one of them"

"I live in fucking Turkey Jerome, there is only so much that I can do from there. I can't physically hold her back from him. Why don't you just move them away from each other"

The tension between the Demon and Rose was thick and filled the entire room. Anyone would be able to tell that they despised each other, but there was something underlying that hatred. Something I just couldn't figure out.

"Some plans are already set in motion for the future. Don't worry about that" Jerome scoffed

 **(End of Spoilers)**

I was beyond confused at this point. I wasn't sure who they were referring to being on their last life. Was this something to do with Georgina? The two of them continued to bicker between them. I got lost in the conversation as they didn't drop any names, but I could see Rose's fire coming through the calm exterior she had placed on for this meeting. Jerome's roar of words snapped me back to the conversation in front of me.

"You do as I tell you!" Jerome roared, taking a step closer to Rose. My body instantly readied itself to protect her

"I'm not one of your employees!" Rose stood up this time, "Our deal was settled a long time ago Jerome! I don't owe you shit!" she took a tiny step closer to him as he glared down below at her

"Watch your mouth Dhampir" he snarled

"Why? You aren't _allowed_ to kill me, nor do you want to. I've proven myself too valuable to your superiors, so I wouldn't go throwing empty threats around"

What the fuck was Rose doing. I could feel Jerome's anger pulsating through the entire room, his eyes filled with hatred as he looked down at Rose.

 _He won't hurt me._

I forced my body to relax when Jerome's eyes flickered towards me up against the wall and back to Rose. Looking into his eyes made me skin crawl and the hairs on my arms to stand up. It was like looking at death.

Without warning, Jerome gripped Rose's neck roughly, pushing her back slightly. But she didn't react, she didn't yelp. She just continued to stare. I was frozen in watching the standoff happening before me. My eyes flicked constantly between Jerome and the side of Rose's face, his face was unreadable. I didn't know how to figure out his next move, I didn't know if he was going to hurt Rose or not. I didn't want to take that chance.

 _Trust me._

"Go on Jerome" Rose taunted, confidence now filling her once shaky voice

Jerome growled as he tightened his grip on her neck slightly. My hands twitched with anticipation. I wanted to rip his hands off her neck. How dare he lay his hands on her.

"My debt was repaid Jerome. I'll do my best to keep Georgina and Seth away from each other, but I think it's pointless".

They stayed like that for several seconds, just staring at each other. Rose's gaze was now as hard and cold as the Jerome's. Without warning, he shoved her away as he let go of her neck, she steadied herself quickly which allowed me to relax my body. She was right.

He wasn't going to hurt her.

Rose had made a deal with Jerome, that's why she got so defensive when I questioned why anyone would sign their lives away in return for a favour. She may not have sold her soul, but she had made a deal with him for something.

It was strangely interesting to watch these two together. They couldn't harm each other for different reasons, but they were at each other's throats. Their shared hatred of each other filling the room like a poisonous gas and their stares acting like physical blows. I doubt Rose, nor I could hurt Jerome, but he could do some serious damage to the both of us.

Rose didn't adjust her position. She smoothed out her dark purple blouse before continuing, "Separate them and bring in something to make sure they stay separated" Rose said strongly, "The fights will come naturally and then they will drift apart"

"You sure say a lot for someone who is meant to be friends with Georgie"

"I don't want him anywhere near Georgina" Rose snarled

"We have finally found something to agree on after all these years Rosemarie" Jerome laughed

Rose laughed without humor before glaring at Jerome, "Don't let him fuck with her anymore"

 _Did she just threaten a demon?_

"We are trying"

 _Did he just take it?_

Jerome just stared at Rose, not commenting on what she said nor her new found attitude towards him. Rose moved around the table to pick her bag up off the ground and I was able to see her full face again. She had no fear whatsoever left in her features. I spotted the slight redness on her neck from where Jerome had gripped her.

"We aren't done here Rosemarie" Jerome growled

"I think we are Jerome" she flicked her hair over her shoulder, "Dimitri and I have a girl to see and then a flight to catch"

"Leaving Seattle so soon?" he smiled devilishly

"Only because I have more pressing matters in my own business. I'd love to stick around and get myself more involved in _yours_ , but this isn't my problem to fix or help fix".

"You've done your share I guess" his smile not faltering, "I will be in contact Rosemarie"

"I won't" Rose growled under her breath before heading for the door, I followed closely behind, daring a glance behind me to see the look on the demon's face, but he was gone.

Once we had made it out of the bar and onto the busy sidewalk, Rose let out a massive sigh, "God he makes me want to drink myself to death"

"What the fuck was that about?" I growled, "You had a deal with him?"

Rose spun around to face me, "The deal I made is no one's business. It was an agreement, not a contract" she hissed.

She was right, it was none of my business. But after witnessing what had happened in that room I was beyond worried. This was no longer just shady mobster deals, they were real deals and altercations with Hell.

Rose began walking into the large crowds surrounding us, completely ignoring Freddie waiting by the town car on the curb. Both Freddie and I shrugged before going our seperate ways. I followed Rose and Freddie trailed behind us both in the town car, merging with the traffic and following our trail, which i assumed was heading towards the bookstore that Georgina worked at.

There was always something I found mesmerising about big cities. Maybe it was the vitality and pulse that modern city life had that we didn't get to experience living so secluded from humans. If I closed my eyes, I would be embraced by the orchestral sounds of cars honking their horns, people chattering and feet hitting the pavement. And when I opened my eyes, tall buildings, large crowds and billboards would encompass my line of sight.

But I didn't live in a world where I was able to appreciate the simplicity of a Human's lifestyle. Being a Guardian, I had to learn to hate large crowds as they could hide the dangers that we trained to kill. They wanted us to avoid sensory overload that would come when we couldn't decipher or interpret all the sounds that a busy city possessed. I had to be careful and I couldn't let it distract me.

It didn't matter what they tried to teach me or engrain in my senses. I loved big cities. I may bee a self confessed introvert, but i enjoyed people watching. As long as I found myself surrounded by crowds of bustling people going about their normal lives, I was able to believe for a few seconds that I had it as easy as they did. I was able to believe that my life wasn't in danger every day. There was no particular need for the towering sky scrapers or the flashy billboards, only the streets abounding with people and the sounds of an active environment surrounding me.

Rose stopped suddenly causing me to almost walk into her and jolted me out of my thought. She stared down at the phone in her hands, not saying anything.

"Roza?" I asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

She didn't acknowledge me, she just continued to stare at her phone. I moved one of the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her and tucked it behind her ear, savouring the silky feel of it between my fingers and the way it glistened in the light.

"Yeah, it's just-" Rose cut herself off, still looking down at the phone in her hands

"It's just what Roza?" I asked again, my voice soft and encouraging

"My brother is at Court" she whispered as she looked up at me, her brown eyes wide with worry.


	9. Family Ties

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hi Readers!_

 _Giving you fair warning as this is chapter is a tad longer than my others have been. I didn't want to turn it into two seperate chapters as I felt it flowed better rather than cutting it up._

 _I know I kind of sprung Rose's brother on you all, but it just seemed like the perfect way to end the chapter. So, during this chapter I have delved further into Rose's brother as well as her deal with Jerome from the last chapter._

 _I'm loving your reviews and thank you so much for the support you have been passing on xx_

 _-RCap_

* * *

Family was always something that was a very important part of my life growing up; I guess that happens when strong women filled almost every part of my life. They were at every turn in my life, every misfortune and every triumph. I had a sense of security knowing that my family was never far from me. Living with Ivan in Russia meant that they were never too far away, and even now being apart of the Mazur Guard in Turkey, they were still relatively close to me.

I felt that there were two definitions that came with the word 'close'. There was closeness by proximity and closeness by familiarity. My family ticked both those boxes at this point in my life. Mama always ensured that we stayed in contact and that we spent a fair amount of time together when we weren't at St Basil's. It also made me think of the family situation for Rose. Rose had lost her mom, such a fundamental member of a family. I had assumed that meant it was only she and Abe in the business. But Rose announcing that her _brother_ was at court meant that there was another member of the family that wasn't in the public eye as much as Abe and Rose were.

There was another Mazur around without anyone knowing about him. When you heard of the Mazur family, it was just three members. Abe, Janine and Rose. There was never anything about a second sibling. My mind was already a tangle of confusion after the meeting with Jerome and this entire trip to Seattle. It was becoming too much for my head to sort out.

I figured that I had to find out more about this apparent secret life that Rose had going on. I wanted to know more about this deal she had made with Jerome but I _needed_ to find out more information about this brother.

"Your...brother?" I asked slowly, the perplexity that I was feeling reflecting directly into my words

"Yeah, last I talked to him he was in Melbourne" she murmured.

Now that surprised me. I would have assumed a Mazur to be in a Middle Eastern Country or even America based on where their business circulated, but I was being proven wrong over and over again.

"Melbourne, Australia?" I asked as she nodded, a troubled look passing over her features.

Australia was one of the few countries in the world that had one the lowest populations of Moroi and Strigoi due to its climate. It simply got too hot for Moroi, and Strigoi struggled with the constant sun. There was still a large population of Dhampirs that resided in the country's main cities, and many Moroi still visited the country, but it was still very low on any threat radars. Young Moroi who could afford the nine thousand mile journey flocked to one of the most party central cities that Australia had. Melbourne. It was practically Strigoi free and their legal drinking age was only eighteen compared to America's being twenty-one. Russia would have been an easier destination to get to in compassion to Australia but the danger was much worse as Strigoi practically ran the streets and had several connections in the club scene. So that brought up an important question, why would the Mazur's be doing business in Australia?

"You found me while I was talking to him on the phone before Natasha left court" she muttered as she put her phone into her bag, "He's on business in Melbourne at the moment but I asked him to look into...ah...an issue for me"

I raised an eyebrow at her. She was hiding something for me and she almost accidentally told me what it was. Thinking back to when I had found her yelling in Russian to someone named Alexei, she had asked for him to find something out for him. Whatever it was, it was disrupting his plans in Melbourne so much he had gone to Court to find her.

"Is he an older or younger brother?"

"Younger. Alexei only just turned twenty-one. Dad sends him on the trips that are more than ten hours away. He is in more danger than I am"

Rose being in less danger than Alexei unfortunately made sense. Women generally weren't favoured when it came to the Mafia or Mobsters. Sure, they were protective over their wives and daughters but killing the daughter of a mobster wouldn't send the same message as killing a son would have. It would explain Abe keeping his son quiet or just not exposing him as a Mazur and letting Rose take up a high position in the business.

"Is that because no one knows he exists?" I asked blankly.

Rose smiled sheepishly, keeping her head low and nodded once, "Yeah, we probably should have told you about him when you started but he was already away".

There was a lot more information that I needed to decipher or get out of Rose, but I didn't think that this would be an appropriate time to 'interrogate' her on her family situation. I decided to leave it until the plane trip back to Court or when we were actually there. For now though, we had to go say our goodbyes to Georgina.

* * *

"What do you mean you guys are leaving? You only got here yesterday" Georgina whimpered.

We had rushed to Emerald Books so that we could say goodbye to Georgina before heading to the airport. I knew that Rose didn't want to say goodbye to a friend she hadn't seen in so long, and that it was going to be somewhat difficult for her, but I wasn't expecting tears. So when they came, I was taken extremely off guard.

"I know Georgie, but some stuff has come up. Dad needs me back" Rose said between sad sniffles, "Promise me you will take care of yourself?"

"Only if you do the same".

The goodbye between them stirred something in me. It gave me an extreme sense of déjà vu from when I would have to say goodbye to Mama or my sisters for a long period of time. There was love between Rose and Georgina.

"I was thinking as well-" Rose began before Georgina cut her off

"Rose I swear if you say anything about Roman and I being together I will throw you out of Seattle myself" she warned

"Oh come on Georgie. He obviously loves you and you've already slept together so what's the harm in there being something else?" Rose grabbed one of Georgina's hands and squeezed tightly, "I just want you too be happy, and he's immortal babe, you can't hurt him like you would hurt Seth"

"I know, I know" Georgina muttered, "Tell you what Mazur, I'll make you a deal"

 _Please god no, no more deals._ I thought to myself as I shifted uncomfortably and began to look longingly as the exit. I wasn't too far from Rose that I couldn't hear their conversation, but I was still giving them the space to say their goodbyes.

"I'll consider something more with my immortal pain in the ass if _you_ dabble with the Dhampir" my head snapped to the girls as they giggled like a couple of schoolgirls.

"I'll see" Rose eventually said between laughs, "I'll see you around Georgie" Rose gave her a hug and they kissed each other on their cheeks before Rose turned and headed for me.

I smiled softly and nodded to Georgina who was still standing in the middle of the room, her arms hugging her stomach as she watched Rose and I leave, giving me a return nod and a sad smile. I had to say, it broke my heart. It was like watching sisters say their final goodbyes. I knew that I was up for a tense and quiet plane trip back to Court.

* * *

As Rose and I made our way down the steps of the private plane and onto Court's tarmac, someone jogged over and swooped up Rose into a massive bear hug, someone who I can only assume was Alexei. Her brother.

The dark tousled hair that was almost black was a dead giveaway, as well as the dark brown eyes that both the siblings seemed to share with their father. His tanned skin looked a few shades darker than Rose's but that may just be due to recent sun exposure he could have had compared to Rose.

He was tall though. At least 6'5 which was only a tad shorter than myself, and the slight shadow around his jaw made him look a lot older than twenty-one. His overall physic screamed Dhampir to anyone that laid eyes on him; you could see immediately that he was a Mazur.

That was something that I found interesting about Rose and Alexei. Only Rose seemed to share any features with her mother, her height and body shape being the most obvious ones, but Alexei looked all Abe.

I caught sight of another Dhampir on the tarmac that was waiting patiently, a massive grin slapped on his face as he watched Alexei pick Rose up off the stairs and spin her around.

"Alex! Put me down!" Rose laughed as she was spun around.

Once she was safely on two feet, she reached up on her toes and planted a small kiss on her brother cheek. The small gesture being enough to melt the giant before her.

I continued down the steps of the jet until I hit the tarmac myself, Alexei immediately turning to me and offering a handshake and a warm smile.

"Alexei Mazur" he introduced himself, "You must be Dimitri Belikov. God, Baba has been raving about you non-stop since I arrived" Alexi laughed deeply, his voice thick with a Turkish accent that Rose only had hints of.

The thought of Abe 'raving' about me filled me with a sense of pride and suddenly made my heard swell with it. I had always tried hard to make a good name for myself even before I was Rose's Guardian, and Abe endorsing me in such a way, especially to his son, gave me extreme self-satisfaction in what I was accomplishing.

"I'm glad you have heard such good things about me. It's an honor to meet you Alexei" I shook his hand and returned his smile.

"Please, call me Alex" he laughed as he slapped me on the back with his free hand.

Separating from Alexei, he turned to introduce to me to the only Dhampir that was waiting behind him who was currently kissing Rose on the cheek.

"It's good to see you again Rosie" he laughed, his voice showing a hint of what I guessed was a Greek accent.

"What did I say about calling me that!" Rose snapped playfully at the mystery Dhampir as she returned the friendly kiss.

Taking him in, he was again almost as tall as myself. He was more built than Alexei and not as tanned, but his hair and eyes colour were almost identical to the siblings, so similar that the three of them could have probably all passed as siblings. As he conversed with Rose, I could hear the slight Greek accent that came with his words much more clearly now, he was definitely from Greece.

"This is Vasili Patras" Alex eventually interrupted the two talking to introduce him to me. That named screamed Greece to me. I had never been to Greece, but I knew that the Dhampir population was _huge_ there. Few Dhampirs that were from Greece became Guardians however, which made me curious as to if Vasili was Alexei's Guardian or just another friend.

"Guardian Belikov is it?" he smiled as he stretched out his hand to me, the smile he had while talking to Rose not faltering.

"It is. Are you Alexei's guardian?" I questioned so I would know how to address him.

"Nah, I'm not a Guardian. Just got a Graduation mark like Rosie here. Only Alexei has a promise mark" he laughed as he looked down at Rose.

"You're a promised Guardian?" my head snapped towards Alexei as I asked.

"Yeah" he shrugged, turning his head so I could see that he did in fact have a promise mark as well as a collection of Molnija marks, "Guardian Tilki at your service" Alexei bowed flamboyantly

"Tilki? Why not Mazur?" confusion dripping from my words.

"It's part of the cover. Tilki means 'fox' in Turkish, it's like a big trick" Rose interjected; "I picked it for him" she smiled as she looked up at her younger brother.

"I'm a Mazur at heart, but I go about my business as a Guardian that Baba hired. It keeps me out of trouble, and no one knows my real identity" Alexei shrugged with a smile, but Rose shifted uncomfortably, almost squirming at the notion of keeping him out of trouble.

I was expecting Rose and Alexei to be experienced but I wasn't expecting Alexei to be a trained Guardian. I mean, just by looking at the two of them next to each other, you could see that they were tough and Rose had even informed the Queen that she had purposely hunted Strigoi to test out their charmed bullets. They were not the type to sit around and wait for danger to come to them; they actively sought it out, almost like it was a game.

"Vasili just follows me wherever I go hoping that I get into trouble" Alexei laughed, breaking me out my train of thought, "Anyway sis, Baba wants to see us all".

Alexei and Vasili led the way to the black SUV that was parked by the runway, both shedding their coats before jumping in. I couldn't help but notice that they both had a holster that had a silver stake in it, but they each also had a handgun. Were they the guns that had the charmed bullets in them that Rose and Abe had discussed with the Queen? Rose had openly expressed that she also carried one at all times, but I was yet to see where exactly she holstered it.

I had so many questions to ask Rose about her brother that I doubted I would be able to get them all out and answered before getting into the SUV, so I kept quiet and sat in the back seat with Rose as Vasili jumped behind the wheel. I was the only one not speaking during the short trip back to the housing.

Conversation seemed to flow effortlessly between the three of them; it never dropped off or had a moment where they didn't know what to say. It made me feel very out of place. I wasn't interested in the nightclub scene that Alexei and Vasili described to Rose, she seemed in awe of the differences it held to what she would have experienced in Turkey or even here in America.

It was well into the Moroi night, so seeing Abe waiting out front of the housing was a bit of a shock to me. Aaron and Alessia were standing a few steps behind him, their Guardian masks up as our car approached. In true Abe fashion, he was dressed up from head to toe. A flashy blue suit paired with black shoes and even a silver pocket square. I could see him stroking his black pointed beard and he tapped his foot impatiently.

"Here goes nothing," Alexei laughed before jumping out of the car. I looked at Rose questioningly, she simply shrugged, her mouth pulling into a slight frown that showed she had no idea what he was walking about.

"Well look at this" Abe boomed, his smile becoming bigger and bigger as we all piled out of the SUV.

I felt like a naughty teenager under his gaze even though I knew I hadn't done anything wrong. I quickly moved around Rose and towards Aaron and Alessia, nodding in acknowledgement to Abe before standing beside Alessia and facing Rose.

"I haven't seen the three of you together in a while" Abe said slyly as the three youths stood before him, all of them smiling like Cheshire cats.

"And whose fault is that Baba?" Rose finally said, her smile not wavering.

"They had return tickets, it's not _my_ fault that these two deviants decided to not get on the plane home" Abe said in a stern voice.

That would explain why Rose was so shocked about Alexei being at Court. He wasn't even meant to be here. The boys skipped out on their flight back to Turkey to do god knows what.

"We have an engagement party to attend to later in the week" Abe continued gruffly, "Vasilisa's"

The Princess was now getting married? Eddie had told me about her relationship with Tasha's nephew, but I wasn't aware that it was ongoing. Like many high school relationships, I figured it would have burnt out when they graduated. But, apparently me being proven wrong is becoming a continual thing.

"I wasn't aware that you were marrying me off Abe" Vasili scoffed sarcastically as he placed his hand over his heart, Abe only glared at him for his joke.

" _Vasilisa_ not Vasili, boy" Abe huffed, "I was hoping to leave here tomorrow, but it seems we are required to stay the entire duration that was planned".

When we had left Turkey last week, Abe had said we would be at Court for a least a few weeks. Any business that they had must have all been wrapped up by now, so he wanted to head home. However, I couldn't help but think it's because of Alexei that he wanted to leave tomorrow. Alexei turning up seemed to have been a surprise to Abe just as much as it had been to Rose, and with them trying to keep his identity a secret, it was bound to throw some plans straight out the window.

"Dimitri" Abe turned around to face me, "You're the only Court appointed Guardian that is part of this guard. I was able to get you out of working the event".

He was kidding, surely. I was the only one out of the four promised Guardians in the home that was still apart of Court's system? It didn't surprise me that Alexei would have removed himself from their ranks immediately after getting his mark, but I didn't expect that of Aaron and Alessia.

Being privately hired instead of assigned wasn't a very common thing among Guardians. Guardians get assigned when they graduate but are easily moved around against their wishes. They could be assigned to a different Moroi, a school or even here at Court at a moments notice. We typically didn't get a say, much like I hadn't when I was assigned to Rose after Ivan's death.

I received my letter with Rose's name on it and a plane ticket to Turkey. I was told where to be and at what time. I didn't get any say or any choice in the matter. There was an allure of freedom for Guardian's that go 'freelance' but they are also never welcome back into the system once they leave.

Being apart of the Court's system meant that I should have been pulling shifts around Court when not with Rose, however they had never given me a roster for the duration of my stay. I had originally just brushed it off as that they didn't need me, but with Abe's reaction to me being asked to work at the Engagement party and getting me out of it, I was sure that he was the reason I never received a roster to begin with.

"They expected him to work it? You're joking right?" Rose scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Abe didn't bother to turn and face his daughter, he simply nodded.

"Yes, they did. I made my thoughts about him working the event very clear with Tatiana, she was able to ensure that he would be attending as a guest rather than the staff".

Rose looked pleased from behind Abe, but I couldn't stop the flood of thoughts that I had accidentally opened. I could easily be assigned away from Rose. I knew that even if such a thing happened, it wouldn't change how I feel about Rose, but it would mean I was away from her. Could I leave and stay with Rose as a 'freelance' Guardian? I'd never strayed from the system that was engrained in me since I was a boy, and I wouldn't be abandoning my duties as a Guardian, but there had to be some benefits of being freelance, right? Otherwise, why would anyone do it?

* * *

The group had dissipated after the discussion in front of the guest housing, everyone going their separate ways or returning to their rooms for sleep. The sun was out but being early November, it wasn't warm by any account. I shoved my hands deeper into the pockets to find some resemblance of warmth. At this temperature, I should have probably made my way inside, but I missed the sun.

The trip to Seattle had unsettled something in me, and my thoughts about straying from the Court's system weighted heavily on me. Could I do it? I felt like it was something that I should think about. I knew Abe treated us significantly better than other families treat their Guardians. I was extremely lucky to have been assigned to two families that cared about the welfare of their Guardians. Some family house them all in a single room, much like they had when we arrived at Court.

I found myself standing in front of the bar that I was seeming to end up at more frequently lately. I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to go in and drink or continue walking until I finally had to submit to exhaustion. It wasn't long before I was joined on the side walk by someone though.

"You gonna go in?" the heavy Greek voice asked.

I turned my head to look at Vasili standing beside me, his gazed fixed on the doors a few metres in front of us.

"Not sure" I mumbled to myself.

Vasili regarded me quizzically, narrowing his eyes as he looked me in the eyes, like he was trying to figure me out. His brown eyes twinkled in the sun and his lips curled up into a smile before asking, "What's on your mind Belikov?"

What _wasn't_ on my mind? Abe's mention of me being the only Court Guardian? The trip to Seattle? Rose's deal with Jerome? _Roza_...? I had a lot on my mind and none had any conclusions. All my internal thoughts were nothing that Vasili could help relive me of. Could he? He seemed like a genuine and decent man, he cared for Rose and Alexei, you could see it just by the way he regarded them both. Even Abe seemed to treat him as another son instead of just one of his son's friends. I was still curious over his role in the business however. He had gone with Alexei to Australia on business, so he must have some roll to play. I asked the question before I had a chance to stop myself.

"What's your role in Abe's business?" I asked, he didn't avert is gaze or look offended by my question.

"I'm Alexei's cover" he responded after a few silent seconds, he still smiled as he answered.

"Cover? I thought him being a Guardian was his cover?" I asked uncertainly

"It is I guess. But people would get suspicious if Abe was sending one of his Guardians to do his business, don't you agree?"

I did agree. I could see where people would be unsure of doing business with a Guardian in the Mazur Guard when they felt like they should be doing deals with Abe himself or his conduit.

"So I'm his cover. I go to all the meetings as one of Abe's agents and with Alexei as my Guardian. I speak at the meetings, but all the words that come out of my mouth are Alexei's"

It was a plan that could easily pass, but I couldn't help but see some flaws that would be a risk to Vasili himself.

"So what's stopping them from assuming _your_ his son? Surely they would see that Abe wouldn't trust his business with just anyone?"

Vasili let out a loud laugh, "I guess your right, but the name 'Patras' is a well known name throughout Greece, they know i'm not the son of Abe Mazur. Im one of six sons to a prominent Moroi figure back home".

This just gets weirder as he keeps talking. Vasili was one of six boys to a Moroi family, yet he was a Dhampir? Before I even had a chance to question it any further, Vasili continued; "My father preferred to have sons who were Dhampir's so they could defend themselves, so he shacked up with our mom who is a Dhampir and continued to run his businesses"

It wasn't unheard of for a Moroi to settle down with a Dhampir, but it sounded like he did it for his children's sake more that whatever feelings he would have towards Vasili's mother. I was however becoming extremely interested in whatever business that his father had or still was involved in that made his family name so well known.

"What kind of business is that?"

"Dad has his hands in _a lot_ of jars. He owns a majority of the nightlife in Ios and Corfu as well as having a large part in Police corruption over there. He is no Abe Mazur, but he had made quite a name for himself"

I had so many more questions about Vasili and even his brothers. Why would he be working for Abe Mazur is his father was so prominent in Greece? He had cut me off before I had asked any further questions.

"Anyway, enough about me, tell me about yourself!" a devilish grin appearing on his mouth as he spoke.

I didn't really want to discuss my life with Vasili let alone discuss it on the street in front of a bar. But I was saved from delving into my life or stiffly refusing to talk about myself by Rose and Alexei coming up beside us.

"Comrade!" Rose smiled when she caught sight of me. Seeing her smile brought a smile on my own face unintentionally, she was so beautiful when she smiled, so beautiful that it almost hurt.

"Roza" I smiled back, "What are you doing here?"

"I was coming for a drink with Alexei and Vasili. We have a lot to catch up on because of their little evasion stunt" Rose laughed as she shouldered her brother,

"Jeez _abla"_ Alexei grunted, rubbing his bicep, "You've got bony shoulders"

Rose rolled her eyes and laughed, "Are you coming in for a drink as well?" she asked me, hope filling her face, however after my conversation with Vasili I was feeling the effects of not sleeping and having so much on my mind. I didn't want to say no to Rose, but for once I think I had to.

"Not this time Roza, I need sleep" I smiled softly hoping that she wouldn't protest further. Before she had a chance, Alexei interjected,

"Meet you in there then" he laughed nudging Rose before putting an arm around Vasili's shoulder like he was his brother. I watched the two of them walk through the doors into the bar with a strange feel of longing. Their friendship reminded me of Ivan and myself before we graduated, when we were able to be reckless.

I looked down to Rose who was still standing in front of me, her eyes filled with what looked like sadness, "What's wrong?" I asked, urgency filling my voice as I stared into her eyes, i reached out for one of her hands, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Come by my room in twenty minutes? I need to talk to you about some stuff" she asked

I looked between her the doors to the bar that Alexei and Vasili had just walked through. Looking down into her eyes, they were wide with worry. Her normally endless brown eyes looked pained and urgent. It made me nervous to say yes, but I eventually sighed, "Okay Roza, I'll be there"

"Thank you Dimitri" she whispered as she squeezed one of my hands back before heading towards the doors after the boys.

* * *

Exactly twenty minutes later, I stood in front of the door to Rose's room, knocking softly and allowing Rose time to actually get to the door.

She flung the door open so fast and violently that it caused both of our hair to flare out from the wind it created. "Roza what's going on?" I asked as she took hold of my hand and tugged me into her room, closing the door behind me.

"I need to tell you about the deal that I made with Jerome. I know I said that it wasn't anyone's business but my own, but I need to talk to someone about it" Rose began as she made her way across the room, sitting on the side of her bed. She immediately became tense, her muscles seeming to lock up as she ran her fingers though the ends of her hair that hung over her shoulder.

"Anything you need Roza?" I said softy, sitting beside her on the bed and taking her hand in my own. I didn't need to know the reason she made her deal, that _wasn't_ my business, but if she was hurting, I wanted to do anything possible to help her through it. If that meant being the person she can vent to, so be it.

It took her several tries to figure out the right way to begin. I could see the frustration on her face as she tried to piece together the right words. When she finally found them, it wasn't what I had suspected.

"Three years ago, a major crime family back home figured out who Alex really was. Alex was out on business when they got to him...they tortured him" Rose said softly, tears springing to her eyes, "I couldn't let that happen to my little brother. I just couldn't. I tried to offer myself as a replacement, but they knew that there was nothing better than killing Abe Mazur's only son to illicit a reaction".

I couldn't move. I was frozen in my spot next to Rose. My mind spun trying to connect the dots before me. I knew what she as going to say before she even said it. I knew the importance of family, and Rose had already lost her mom, so I doubt she wouldn't do everything in her power to ensure she didn't lose another family member.

"There isn't anything that I wouldn't do for my family Dimitri. I went to the only person I _knew_ would be able to fix it all. I went to him and offered my life for Alexei's. I went to Jerome for a contract. That will forever be the best and worst decision of my life" Rose chucked without humor before continuing, "I offered my soul for Alexei's, but they didn't want it..." her words trailed off as she took a deep breathe, "'Favour for a favour', that's what Jerome had said to me. I should have asked what his favour was, but I was too worried about my brother".

I didn't realize that I had been holding my breath while Rose told me about her deal, it filled me with a type of fear that I hadn't ever felt before. It was different to facing up a Strigoi; it was more of a nauseous fear, one that made my stomach churn and my head spin.

"The only reason I survived that night that Sofia died was because I hadn't repaid my debt yet, they needed me _here_ for it. They actually needed me, so they brought me back" tears now fell softly down Rose's cheeks, her words slowly becoming whimpers.

Rose had said to Jerome that her debt had been repaid, but if they brought her back from death when Sofia died because she had been yet to pay her debt, that meant she must have repaid her debt within the recent _month_. My entire body tensed as I looked down at Rose softly weeping next to me.

I moved to the floor and kneeled before her and cupped her cheeks in my palms. I looked at her as her eyes shut tightly and brushed her tears away with my thumbs before I spoke, "Roza...what was Jerome's favour?"

Rose opened her eyes slowly, her brown eyes filled with pain and hurt as she stared at me, "Souls" she whispered, barely audible

"Souls?"

She nodded, "Ten souls for my brother's soul. They didn't want my soul. They wanted me to find the people that Jerome and the Angels couldn't find"

Rose had been used some kind of bloodhound. Sniffing out people that they couldn't. It was the last piece of the puzzle, everything suddenly clicked into place, the realization practically knocking me to the ground.

"That's why he couldn't kill you isn't it? You were _too_ good at it. You're proved yourself too valuable to them" I whispered as she nodded again.

"They had me looking for Nephilim, which is what Roman is. Half Angel and half Human. They can mask their immortal signature which identifies them to other immortals, with their signature masked, they appear human and therefore hidden from lesser and greater immortals".

 _'So you're the Nephilim'._ That's what Rose had said when Roman had greeted us at Georgina's party. She had told me that the visit to Seattle was a personal visit, but had she lied to me? Was the entire trip to finish her deal and then her meeting with Jerome finalizing it? Was Roman still there?

"Were you...on a job in Seattle? Was Roman one of the ten you had to give up?" I asked, my voice hesitant as the words came out

"No! No, Roman is Jerome's son" her confession instantly made me feel at ease, she had been in Seattle just for a visit. Her meeting with Jerome must have been a spur of the moment thing.

"Roman is only allowed there with Jerome's permission. Other Demons would kill him if they knew he was a Nephilim, so he masks his signature, that's why you didn't feel any force off him like you did with the others. We are part of that world, therefore we also have a signature and we can read theirs".

I continued to cup her cheeks in my hand and I moved closer to her, resting my forehead against hers and sighed deeply, "Roza..." I began, but Rose cut me off

"Do you think less of me now Dimitri? Being the daughter of a mobster is one thing but this...this is different. People are _dead_ because of me!" Rose snapped, moving her head away from me and getting up off the bed. Sighing, I stood up and watched her move to the middle of the room and watched he begin to pace. I couldn't see her like this; I couldn't stand to see her in this kind of pain.

"Roza, please" I pleaded, taking two long strides until I was directly in front of her. I cupped her cheeks again and she stared up at me in a kind of wonder, "You did what you had to do. Nobody blames you. We kill Strigoi all the time it's just-"

"Nephilim don't pose any threat Dimitri" Rose whispered, cutting me off, "They just happen to be considered dangerous freaks and are hunted down for it. The Nephilim that I found begged for me to not give them up, but I had to. I see their faces when I go to sleep Dimitri, they haunt my dreams"

I was taken back. I didn't know what to say while Rose opened up to me. She thought these deaths were on her hands; she blamed herself for it all. She tried so hard to ensure that no one saw this side of her; she kept it down and out of sight. I doubt she had told anyone else these details. Looking down at her, my thumb brushed her cheek lightly and wiped away the tears that found themselves leaking. I looked deep into her eyes, trying to see past all the pain and guilt that lay in them, trying to the find the real Rose once again.

I was caught of guard however when she stretched up, lightly pressing her lips to my own. It was soft gesture, tentative almost, like she was making sure that that I was okay with the kiss. She pulled away slightly, her lips brushing mine slightly as she spoke, "Thank you"

"For what?" I asked, my voice low and husky

"For being you," she whispered before leaning in and pressing her lips to mine once more, consuming me fully this time.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _I hope this chapter has answered some questions that were waiting to be answered from the past chapters! Also, Alexei calls Rose 'abla' while they are all outside the bar; 'abla' is the Turkish translation for 'sis'._

 _I'm curious to know what you guys think of Alexei and Vasili?_

 _I also switched up the roles of Rose and Dimitri so that she was the one plagued by guilt over the lives lost through her deal with Jerome, instead of Dimitri with when he was Strigoi. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it's twists and turns!_

 _See you all next week x_

 _-RCap_


	10. Unforgettable

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hello Again!_

 _This chapter is a bit more of a filler chapter for the story, but I have tried to make sure that there is plenty of stuff to keep everyone interested in it._

 _I felt that the divide that R. Mead created between the Moroi and the Dhampirs was horrible, so I've addressed those themes of racism and elitism in this chapter further to how it was mentioned slightly in my first chapter._

 _Because of these themes, this is a **Trigger Warning for Discrimination and Segregation**._

 _-RCap_

* * *

I dreamt of Rose a lot. I guess falling in love did that.

I dreamt of the way her hair felt between my fingers, like silk and how it smelled of her shampoo and even the faintest flowery smell of a spray she must use before styling it for the day.

I dreamt of running my hands over her skin, lingering to trace the scars that she had and kissing them delicately, letting her know that I loved them even if she hated them. In my dreams she would watch me kiss every inch of her body and worship her.

I dreamt of how she would look beneath me. Withering beneath my touch and moaning my name. I dreamt of how her plump lips would part only slightly to release a gasp or moan when I would let my fingers dance along her flesh.

These dreams drove me to insanity. Her touches in my own dreams would bring me to my knees. I was completely at her mercy.

I would also need a cold shower upon waking up from these dreams, an even colder one after the way we left things last night.

* * *

 _"For being you," she whispered before leaning in and pressing her lips to mine once more, consuming me fully this time._

The kiss was the kind of kiss that made the world around us fall away. It was slow and comforting and yet she had total power of me. I let one of my hands that were cupping her cheeks move to the back of her neck and then trail down her back, tracing the bumps of her spine until I reached her waist and pulled her closer to me, close enough to feel her heart beat up against my chest.

I let the kiss continue until I felt the warm trickle of water on my cheek. Tearing myself away from her lips was hard, but I pulled back until I could see her entire face. Cupping her cheeks again in both my palms I saw where the wetness was coming from. They were her tears.

The tears leaked from the outer corners of her eyes and fell down her cheeks, following the path of the ones before it, until they hit the webbings between my thumb and forefingers. I stared softly down at her, watching as she shed silent tears. It hurt me so much to see her cry. To see those tears and not be able to stop them was like sliding a dagger through me.

She was guilt ridden. She blamed herself for those lives that were taken because of her deal. She was constantly tortured by their faces and their pleads to not give them up. I couldn't begin to understand how she must feel because of it all. I felt a certain amount of guilt because of what happened to Ivan. He died because I wasn't there for him, but with Rose, she directly caused those deaths. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to see the faces of those she gave up while I slept or even during my everyday life.

As much as I hated seeing her cry, I knew she needed to and that she needed someone there for her. So, I held her. I held her until her knees buckled from underneath her and I had to carry her to her bed. She continued to cling to me, her cries becoming soft whimpers and sniffles instead of tears.

Eventually she fell asleep in my arms. Looking down at her, I gripped her closer to me. One of my hands holding her own that was resting on my chest and the other wrapped around her waist. Her face was in the crook of my neck and her lips brushing against my neck as she breathed.

As much as I craved being close to her, it was hell.

Feeling the bare flesh of her waist under my hands and her own hand on my chest was torturing me. I wanted nothing other than to touch her more. I had to relax as I found myself getting aroused just by little whimpers that she would make while dreaming. Her heartbeat steady as mine began to speed up. I either needed to go to sleep or leave. I would not be able to stand this for much longer.

 _Maybe if we were on our sides?_ I thought to myself. I'd have to be careful because I really didn't want to break her sleep or jostle her too much. Carefully, I secured my arms around her and shifted my weight so that I was resting on my side, pulling Rose up slightly and then shifting her weight as well. She stirred slightly making me freeze until she resettled into her new position on her side with her back pressed up against my chest.

After she had resettled I was able to relax myself. I hadn't woken her and had successfully maneuvered her, so we would be more comfortable. The possibility of waking her up was almost as unnerving as going up against a Strigoi. Finally, being able to rest I began to drift off to sleep and dream about her once again.

* * *

I awoke with Rose still firmly against my chest. We hadn't seemed to move at all during the night. My arm was still wrapped around her waist protectively and my head in the crook of her neck this time.

I could see the hints of orange coming through the small crack in the blinds that told me it was sunset. Still very early for the Moroi day to begin but I felt like I could hear people walking through the grounds below the window.

Unwillingly, I had to detach myself from Rose. Now that I was awake, there was no way that I would be able to go back to sleep. Sliding my arm out from under Rose, I moved to the edge of the bed to get up. I was still fully dressed from the night before and I had a stiffness in my neck that I'd have to knead out later.

"Where are you going?" a heavy of half-asleep voice asked me.

Turning the top half of my body, I looked down to Rose, "Couldn't get back to sleep, so I thought I would get up"

"You should stay," she murmured so softly that if I hadn't of been attentive, I would have missed it.

"It's still early Roza, you get some more sleep and I'll come find you later?" I asked, hoping that in her drowsy state she wouldn't argue. Thankfully, I was correct. I didn't know how much longer I would have been able to hang around awake with her body up against me.

I slipped out of the room upon seeing Rose return to her slumber with a soft snore and walked towards the door, closing it softly as I watched her peacefully sleep. Once the door was closed I rested my forehead against it with a small _thud_.

"Guardian _Belikov_?"

The shocked Turkish accented voice made me jump spin around with speed I didn't know I possessed. Now with my back to the door I was looking directly into the confused brown eyes of Alexei.

"Sorry man, I thought this was my sister's room," he mumbled as he scratched the back of his head; genuinely thinking he had the wrong room.

"Oh…" I stumbled, "No…this _is_ Rose's room"

His eyes widened slightly and the hand that was scratching his head froze, "So…you were just _visiting_?" he questioned, possessiveness lacing his words.

Rightfully so I guess. He just caught me leaving his sister's room in the early hours of the morning. I knew I had nothing to be shameful of, but with the look he was giving me, I was definitely feeling guilty. I could understand his protectiveness like an unspoken verbal contract. I would have had the exact same reaction to seeing a man walk out of the room any of my sisters were in. It was natural for a brother.

He continued staring at me. I didn't have an answer for him though. I couldn't tell him about how upset she had been last night, I doubt he would know about Rose's deal to save his life.

He must have sensed my hesitation in answering so he continued, "Okay, how about this one then?" I waited patiently for him to continue, "What's _going on_ with you and my sister?"

Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Alexei looked me dead in the eyes. The deep brown colour looking like there was a fire roaring behind them. But what could I say to him? I wasn't dating Rose. I was her Guardian, sure I had deep feelings for her, but I thought telling Alexei that might have made things worse.

Clearing my throat, I thought of the most honest thing I could say to him, "I-I'm not sure actually"

"And yet you are sneaking out of her room early in the morning?"

"I didn't _sneak_. She knew I was leaving. I was already awake and didn't want to disrupt her sleep," I said back defensively

Alexei put his hand in front of him and chucked, "No need to get defensive Belikov. Just trying to put the details together" he may have had a smile on his face and humor in his voice but that fire hadn't left his eyes yet.

"Look, I can understand what you are probably thinking at the moment" I sighed

"Really?" he asked skeptically.

I though straight away about my sisters. Thinking how mad I had been when I found out about Karo and Sonja's pregnancies. I had eventually come to my senses and supported my sisters but initially I was furious that it had happened to begin with. Several years later though, I had a nephew and two nieces that I adored immensely. That didn't mean that I would be pleased to hear of Vika falling pregnant by a mystery Moroi like Karo and Sonja. The two of them had never revealed whom the fathers of their children were, but I was okay with them keeping that secret to themselves if it meant that they were happy.

"I have three sisters" I answered flatly, his eyes softened slightly at my confession, "So I think I understand very well"

It took him a couple of seconds to respond though, "Older or younger?"

"Both"

"Bet you did you fair share of date ruining then" he chuckled. The angry fire in his eyes disappeared and was replaced once again with the warm brown that he shared with Rose. I found immediate conform in the colour, even though the host wasn't Rose herself.

"I guess so," I laughed softly and looked down at my feet.

I thought back to when I had been alerted anonymously about a Moroi named Rolan trying to get the attention of Vika. I never found out who the woman was on the other end of that phone call, but she allowed me to get to Vika in time to stop her from making a decision that would have steered her down the wrong path. Vika had hated me for it, she thought I had ruined her life by separating her from Rolan, but when I saw the club that they had gone into, I knew that I had done the exact opposite. I had ruined that relationship for the better. Vika eventually thanked me when she reached her twenties and realized that I had done her an incredible favor, but I never got to thank the mystery woman and I believed that I never would.

"When Rose was like seventeen or something, she had her first Valentine's Day with an actual date. This guy got her one of those big chocolate boxes that are shaped like a heart. I ate the entire box, right in front of him, didn't break eye contact once" he laughed, and I couldn't help but laugh along with him.

The tension between us had died down significantly with the joke and Alexei seemed to be more relaxed around me. Taking a stab, I assumed that maybe having company for an early breakfast wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

"I was just heading the café if you want to join me?" I asked slowly.

He regarded me curiously, once again looking me up and down before responding, "Okay, but only if I can grill you about my sister?"

I laughed softly, knowing there was only so much we could talk about because there wasn't a whole lot to whatever was going on between us. At least nothing that I knew about in detail. We hadn't discussed any feelings between us since the plane when we had admitted to our obvious attraction to each other.

I wasn't sure if my attraction ran deeper than hers. Mine was becoming much more than physical, but I wasn't sure about her. Maybe her opening up to me last night was her way of showing me that it was more than physical to her as well, but how do I ask that of her? It may have just been a weak moment where she needed comfort and I was someone she trusted.

* * *

The small strip of shops wasn't far from the Guest Housing at Court, a mere few minutes' walk. Moroi businesses were beginning to open and were setting up for the day while Guardians walked quickly towards the Guardian Housing or the opposite way to Head Quarters, either finishing their shifts or only just beginning them. Cafés and bakeries took up most of the shop fronts on this particular street which meant that Guardians naturally gravitated to this part due to the ungodly hours they were forced to take up. Court had several streets much like this one that were designed like strip malls. They held restaurants with all different types of cuisines being cooked, clothing boutiques and even a few dry cleaners, it was all set up like a little town. Everything you would need was here, it was just pushed closer together.

When the Vampire day would reach its peak, the streets would fill much like they had back in Seattle only on a much smaller scale. Streetlights illuminated the roads and sidewalks and the occasional Guardian SUV would drive by or park in front of a shop front, further illuminating the area with its headlights. The size of Court meant that you just didn't require a car, but that didn't stop the vast majority of Moroi or Dhampirs who lived at Court possessing them. Court had a large car garage that stretched three level above and three below ground that held those vehicles as well as those of visiting Court. A separate underground carpark had also been built under Guardian Headquarters for Guardian vehicles only, most of the Guardians saw it as a good thing that we got our own car park, but it was in much worse condition than the large carpark and less attended to.

The café lied a few meters ahead of us and I ushered Alexei to enter before me. This café was significantly bigger than most on the street, as it was set up almost like a bistro. Black tables filled nearly all of the floor space and because of its size it was popular among Guardians. Most Guardians would finish a shift in a large group, so they would normally all go eat together afterwards meaning the business that could hold the biggest amount of them got their business.

From the time of day it was, the café was hardly empty. A decent portion of the tables were already occupied by those in black and white, but Alexei managed to grab one of the tables near the front window. Giving me his coffee order, I headed up to the young Moroi woman who was standing behind a register. Once I had ordered our coffees and whatever pastries looked the most appetizing in the dessert window, I received a number.

"Listen out for your number. I'll call it when everything is ready" the woman told me in a disinterested tone.

So, I waited for my number to be called, noticing the way she regarded every Dhampir that ordered food from her in the same way as she did me.

Disinterested.

Rose had talked about her view on the way some Moroi thought themselves as better than us Dhampirs. She had said that they whole system was like a form of racism or elitism. As much as I didn't want to agree with her, I knew it as well. Dhampirs were trained their entire childhoods to protect Moroi, they were taught to sacrifice themselves and that _they_ came first.

A lot of Moroi, particularly those in the Royal families, saw us as disposable and that we served no other purpose than to serve them. They saw Dhampir women as nothing but a walking incubator, which disgusted me beyond comprehension. I'd seen the Moroi men breeze through my hometown and use the Dhampir woman for their bodies and necks. I'd seen the bandages my Mama had used to cover my father's bites after he had visited and we all had fallen victim to his physical abuse under that roof. He thought he was better than us, and being an Ivashkov just added to his elite ego. I knew that my distrust of Adrian had stemmed from my own issues with my father, and don't get me wrong, I knew very well that not all Moroi thought so lowly of Dhampirs or treated them as badly, but it only takes a few degrading acts to set those thoughts in motion.

Dhampirs and Moroi were always separated. At the Academy we were separated into different housings, and it didn't slip from the Dhampirs that Moroi dorms were taken care of better than the Novice building had been. It was no different at any other Academy in any other country. Here at a court, there we several different levels of 'privilege'. Royal housing was significantly better than the common Moroi housing was, and then it was a further step down for Guardian housing. Only the guest housing had any mix of Moroi and Dhampirs and even then, they were selective about what rooms they assigned to who. That was evident from the difference in the cramped room that I shared with Aaron and Alessia compared to Rose's room and probably to whatever Abe's room looked like.

"Hey!" a female voice snapped, crashing me back down to the present and out of my thoughts. I looked up to see the Moroi woman scowling at me with my food and coffee on the counter in front of her, "Your stuff is ready"

I mumbled my thanks to her as I picked up the coffees placed in the cardboard carrier and the pastries in their brown paper bags. Turning around, I started heading back to the table, but not before I noticed the middle aged Moroi man walking in through the front door and hearing the very chirpy voice of the same Moroi that served all the Dhampirs in the room.

"Morning Sir, what can I get for you?" her voice was sickly sweet and the entire interaction of him ordering a coffee made my eyes roll.

I didn't even get a chance to sit in my chair before Alexei began grilling me on Rose.

"So" Alexei started, taking one of the coffees from the carried and taking a sip of it, "Back to our _previous_ conversation Belikov"

"Rose" I mumbled. I didn't want to look at him, so I looked down at the pastry bag sitting in front of me on the table, I could feel my knee beginning to jump underneath the table.

"What's going between you two, really?"

I didn't know what to tell him, so I started from the beginning. I looked him in the eyes and told him about when I saw her for the first time at Abe's party and how her raw attitude had captured my attention immediately. I talked about how her strength, even after everything she had been through, was so powerful and how it radiated from her into any room she was in. I told him that over the past three weeks my feeling for her had grown immensely and they weren't slowing down.

He waited and listened patiently to my monologue until I finished my recollection of my time with Rose.

"So…does she feel the same way?" he asked, a light smile appearing on his lips

"I'm not sure, we haven't exactly discussed that yet" I became sheepish and looked back down at my now torn up pastry. I was so anxious about explaining my feelings that I had subconsciously ripped the croissant into bits.

"Well Rose isn't exactly subtle Belikov" he laughed, "from what you've told me, she's not just into you for your hair"

"You think it goes deeper than… _physical_ …then?"

It felt weird to be discussing my attraction for Rose in front of her brother as much as it did him seeming to _encourage_ it. He didn't seem repulsed at all and only a small amount of protectiveness lingered in his eyes and voice.

"Yeah I do" he crossed his arms over his broad chest, stretching the fabric, "and I think you need to tell her how you really feel. I mean, it's not like you're her teacher or anything" he scoffed before taking another sip of his coffee.

"She said the same thing on the flight to Seattle" I chucked under my breath, "I still feel like there is a line I can't cross though cause I'm her Guardian. It's not often that you would see the same situation between a Moroi and their Guardian-"

"Rose isn't a Moroi Belikov" Alexei interrupted and promptly cutting off the beginning of my rambling, "She doesn't see you as her Guardian, I can assure you of that. She sees you as a friend or part of her family. She never wanted to be protected, she just wanted to have someone there for her"

I was rendered speechless; I didn't know how to respond to Alexei's claim. I didn't even have a chance to ask him to elaborate before he did so on his own accord.

"She was so mad when Baba hired Sofia. She refused to be shadowed and had one _the_ _best_ hissy fits I have ever seen come out of my sister and she threw some good ones back in the day. But eventually, she started seeing Sofia as a friend rather than her shadow. She wouldn't introduce Sofia as her Guardian, just simply as Sofia"

I frowned slightly, trying to think of the times that Rose had introduced me as her Guardian. But, I couldn't think of any. She hadn't once introduced me as Guardian Belikov, only as Dimitri. Everyone she introduced me to in Seattle, she introduced me with my name, not my title. She didn't expect me to trail behind her, she would usher me forward so that I was next to her.

"Rose sees you as apart of her life, someone to fight alongside, not for her Belikov. My sister doesn't need protecting, she just needed a someone with her, _a partner in crime_ you could say" he leaned back against his chair, looking very pleased with his wording, "So in my opinion, there isn't any line stopping you guys from being together if that's what you both want. If that isn't enough of a clearway for you, you could always leave the Guardian Council, Baba would hire you back anyway as a private guard"

"I've actually thought about that" I sighed. Maybe I should be considering that option more in depth, "Guardians aren't welcome back to the Council if they join the private market though"

"Would you have any reason to go back though?" his eyes narrowed slight and cocked his head to the side.

"If I was with Rose, then no" I muttered.

"Then do it! I left as soon as I graduated! They tried to assign me to some Conta Lord and kicked up a massive fuss when I refused, but once you are out, you're out and it's a better feeling than you think it may be" he ran a hand through his tousled hair and then looked down at my disassembled croissant, "Are you gonna eat that?"

"No, you can have it" I mumbled, sliding the pastry sitting on top of its paper bag over to Alexei where he immediately devoured it. I was too deep in thought to eat it myself or protest to him eating it.

"I reckon," he began with a mouth full of croissant, "we should go get you a suit for the Dragomir engagement tomorrow night and you should tell my sister what's really going on inside that head of yours".

I couldn't help but sigh in defeat. He was right. I couldn't dance around my feelings any longer, I had to tell her and hope that he was right about Rose's feelings as well.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Another chapter down! I'm sorry if this chapter felt like it was dragging on a bit, but I had to set the pace for the next chapter._

 _I'm also pleased to inform all you Romitri lovers that lemons are in the (extremely) near future as well as some actual action/drama._

 _Any theories about who called Dimitri to warn him about Rolan and Vika?_

 _Until next week x_

 _-RCap_


	11. Power Play

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Yes this is an early update! I had the chapter finished and I just couldn't wait until the weekend to post it! I can't guarantee that I will have another chapter up this weekend but I will try really hard!_

 _Disclaimer: Lemon Ahead_

 _Enjoy xx_

 _-RCap_

* * *

I guess being a cunning businessman meant you needed to know your way with suits.

 _"Baba always says that "you can't play the part if you don't look it". He always made sure that Rose and I looked our best"_

Words straight from Alexei himself and you could see it. Abe always wore lavish and out there suits that showed his wealth and even his own type of style. Rose always dressed in a way that made her look incredibly sexy but at the same time, in a way that showed everyone she was a businesswoman and that she wasn't easily fooled. I had yet to see Alexei in anything other than his dark blue jeans and black t-shirt but if his family was anything to vide by, I knew that he would look his best tonight.

I was alone in the suite at this time though. Aaron and Alessia had left earlier with Abe to accompany the Queen to the engagement party so I was left alone to get ready. The all black suit that Alexei had picked for me was laid on my bed in the confines of the garment bag. I didn't get a choice in what he made me buy; he simply picked the colour and size and didn't even let me get fitted.

Finally putting on the suit for the first time and looking in the mirror I was pleasantly surprised by his choice. It was all black and extremely sharp. The fit was perfect which surprised me even more. The off white colour of the dress shirt made my tanned complexion look darker and more exotic. I tossed up whether to leave my hair out or tie it at the name of my neck. Thinking about the times that Rose had weaved her hands through the loose strands, I decided to let it hand loosely at my shoulders and allowing it to frame my face.

I didn't know what to expect when I'd walk into that ballroom but I was in for a shock. I arrived with both Alexei and Vasili in similar suits to mine, the only difference being I wore a black tie instead of their bowties. Upon entering the large ballroom, the party was in full swing. When a Princess gets married you can bet that they were going to make it a big deal, especially with Tatiana grooming Vasilisa to be her advisory.

I was almost attacked by the green and blue colour scheme. They weren't colours that could normally be mixed well, but somehow they had pulled it off. The hall was filled to the brim of Moroi and Dhampir guests as well as the Guardians that lined the walls. Laughter and chatter circulated the room creating a very festive but formal event. A band had been set up against one of the walls, which was producing soft music that bounced from wall to wall, complimenting the sounds of chatter well.

Vasili and Alexei immediately branched off towards the bar but I was more interested in finding Rose, and it didn't take me long until I spotted her.

The black floor length gown that she wore was simply divine on her. It clung seductively to her curves and the strapless sweetheart neckline showcased how well endowed she actually was. It stirred something in me, something deep. Her hair fell down her back in loose waves and swayed with each twist and turn she made, it made my heart ache. She was dancing with her father, one of the rare moments of true father-daughter love that they would share. I didn't want to interrupt the moment she was having with her father, so I stayed by the entrance and watched her smile and dance with my own smile.

When the song came to an end, Rose and Abe mock bowed to each other and laughed as she headed towards the bar while Abe made his way towards Aaron and Alessia on the opposite edge of the room. As she walked, I noticed the split up the thigh of her dress; it almost brought me to my knees. It showed how tanned and toned her legs were, they were as perfect as she was.

She caught sight of me and stopped walking, staring hungrily at me she cocked one hand onto her waist and stood there beckoning me towards her with a teasing finger. I obeyed like a loyal servant and walked towards her, not stopping until I was only mere inches away from her.

"You look beautiful" I sighed taking her hand and kissing in softly.

"You scrub up good as well" she giggled, a slight hint of pink flushing in her cheeks.

"Dance with me?" I questioned, not breaking the eye contact we have from when she caught sight of me.

"Well that depends, can you dance?"

"Roza, you have no idea what I can do" I smiled as I kissed her cheek.

We made our way into the thick of dancers and found an available spot near the band up front. As I placed one of my hands on her hipbone and the other in the sweet dip of her lower back she trailed her hands up over my chest and let them come to rest around my neck. I pulled her close to me, so close that I could feel her chest rise and fall with every breath she took and could feel her hot breath on my neck.

As the song progressed, it felt relaxed and I allowed a smile to take over my face as I looked down into her bottomless brown eyes. Every turn was elegant and our bodies in perfect sync with each other, each touch was like touching her for the first time.

She moved closer into my arms and rested her head against my chest. Her signature black heels giving her a little more height but she still didn't reach the height of my shoulder. We didn't hurry the dance; we simply took pleasure in being close to each other and without responsibility for once.

I caught sight of Alexei standing at the bar grinning eagerly at us and I couldn't help but laugh under my breath,

"What?" Rose lifted her head from my chest and looked up at me,

"Your brother" I smiled, using my head to point at him over at the bar behind her. She spun her head around to see and went bright red upon seeing him making kissy faces at us

"He's not subtle is he" she sighed lowering her head

"Funny, he said the same about you yesterday at breakfast" I laughed at the look of aghast on her face

"You had breakfast with my _brother_?" her previously horrified look turned into one of amusement as she pulled back slightly

"I did," I laughed, pulling her in close again, "It was weird getting interrogated, I'm usually the one doing that".

"I'm not even going to ask what he said," she giggled before resting her head back on my chest.

The song came to a end and we slightly stepped back from each other, kissing her hand and bowing my head downwards.

"Can I interrupt?"

We both looked to the left to see Alexei standing there, a childish grin on his face, "Of course" I smiled, handing Rose over to her younger brother.

The new song had already begun and it was faster than the one Rose and I danced to. Alexei immediately picked Rose up and spinning her around which elicited a loud laugh from her and a few disapproving looks from the Moroi around them. I laughed softly to myself as he spun Rose away and I walked towards the bar to get myself a drink.

"Vodka please" I asked leaning towards the bar. Within seconds, a small glass with clear liquid was placed in front of me. I nursed it smiling to myself.

For the first time since Ivan had died, I was happy.

Hearing the music and the laughter coming from behind me made me smile more and knowing that Rose was apart of that laughter made me feel warm inside. She deserved to be happy and knowing that I was now contributing to that happiness made me even happier.

"I've never seen her smile like she has been tonight"

I looked to my side to see Vasili with his back up against the bar, looking into the crowd at Rose and Alexei. I turned my body so I was doing the same. The smile on his face bigger than Alexei's had been.

The celebration went on well into the night. Vasilia and Christian were announced shortly after Vasili came over to me and they mingled with the crowd well. One person stood out however. Adrian.

Adrian was at the other end of the bar with a drink in one hand and in the other, a pack of cigarettes. He played with the cardboard box, flipping it through his fingers and lightly tapping it against the bar. His features were screwed up, like he was either concentrating hard on something or fighting some inner turmoil.

When he looked behind him, it confirmed which one. He stared daggers towards Rose who was chatting with Eddie and the red headed Guardian that had greeted us when we first arrived at Court. I believed that was Mason Ashford, one of Eddie's friends that had had a crush on Rose when they were teenagers.

Adrian threw back whatever dark liquid was left in his drink and pushed his body away from the bar, but not before looking over and seeing me staring at him. I had already been caught; It was too late to avert my gaze. The daggers he had been giving Rose quickly transferred to me and he slid the now empty glass over the bar. There was genuine hatred in his eyes.

When he had originally confronted me, I didn't see that Rose had ended their 'relationship' because of me. I definitely did now and if he had seen our dance, it would have confirmed it. I had taken her away from him, but she was never his to take from him.

"Dimka"

Someone was surely playing a fucking joke on me. I knew exactly who's voice had broken my eye contact with Adrian and I was hoping I'd never have to see her again.

Black hair and blue eyes. Complete contrasts of the colours I would have hoped to see. Tasha stood before me in a blinding red dress. The fabric must have had some reflective quality to it, because looking at it in the wrong light would disrupt my line of sight considerably. The smile on her face made my stomach turn, she was meant to be far away from here, anywhere but here.

"Tasha, what the fuck are you doing here?" I hissed at her

"My nephew is getting married Dimka" she purred, "Did you really think I would miss something like that?"

No, I didn't expect her to miss something like that. But I was hoping she would have. If Rose spotted her, this wouldn't go down well for either of us. Rose still had the Alchemist on standby if Tasha wasn't to stay away. I wasn't sure what Rose had planned for Tasha if she came back, but I had a feeling I was about to.

"You need to leave before Rose or Abe see you Tasha"

Tasha pursed her lips and narrowed her cold blue eyes at me, "Yes, your _boss_ " venom dripped from her voice as she moved from my direct line of sight to the spot beside me and motioned the bartender for a drink, "How is your lover going Dimitri? Trouble in paradise yet?"

I rolled my eyes and asked gestured the bartender for a refill, "Why would there be trouble?"

"Well I thought you would have already discussed your futures with each other?" her amused tone started poking at me, "Like, you're already twenty-seven Dimka. Are you going to get married and start a _family?"_

My head snapped to face her; she knew she was walking through dangerous territory bringing up starting a family. But I also knew she was purposely doing it. She was using my desire to have my own children against my feelings for Rose. It was a dirty tactic, and I could see she was going to use it to her full advantage.

Our Dhampir genes prevented Rose and I from ever being able to have our own children together. I didn't even know if Rose wanted children in her future, she was still only a young woman and enjoying her early twenties but she had also been forced to grow up fast and she'd matured well past her actual age.

"You can't have the children you so badly desire with another Dhampir Dimka, especially not Rose. You can with me however" Tasha purred at me.

"No Tasha. You have always been a dear friend of mine but I don't see you and I _ever_ having that kind of relationship nor do I want to" I calmly said back much to her disgust.

"Come to your senses Dimka," she snapped, "You are the Guardian of a mobster's blood whore daughter. You should be protecting someone worth protecting, like me. If Rose was to die no one would bat an eyelid, she is nothing but a Dhampir. She doesn't matter" Tasha said softly as she took a step closer to me, resting her hand on my sternum.

I was stunned at what I had just heard. Tasha had always been a strong campaigner for Dhampir rights. She had never talked down about Dhampirs or treated them like they were property. It's amazing what jealousy will do to a person's morals or beliefs. 'B _lood whore_ ', and _'she doesn't matter'_. It took me a couple of seconds to regain my senses as I processed the insults against Rose. I grabbed her wrist with my free hand and pushed her away from me, breaking the contact she had on my chest.

"Stop Tasha. Rose is not just some blood whore; she is an amazing woman that you should actually look up too. Not even you have been through as much as she has. I don't need children to be happy for the rest of my life, not if I get to spend it with her" I clinked my glass against her own and threw back it's contents, placing the glass back on the bar beside Tasha before turning away from her.

"You're making a big mistake Dimka" she said, I turned back towards her, and closed the distance between us so that I was whispering in her ear.

"You can say that all you want Tasha, but the only person here that is making a mistake is you by returning to court. A lot of people here want you dead, and if you don't want to join the court graveyard I would leave for good this time and finally disband your little group of vigilantes".

"What are you going to do Dimka?" she scoffed, "You wouldn't hurt me. We've already established that when you sent me away instead of letting Rose kill me".

"No, I guess you're right, I couldn't kill you. But I can't protect you anymore from those that can Tasha. I wouldn't take my caution lightly" I smirked as I pulled my body away from hers, a look of pure terror on her face that hadn't matched the strong voice she had been trying to put on.

I turned away on my heels going on my search for Rose, but a quick inspection of the hall showed she wasn't anywhere to be seen. Where could she have gone? I did a quick walking sweep but came up with nothing. I even did a quick look on the balcony and only found Adrian smoking a cigarette and muttering to himself.

Without being able to find Rose I seeked out Aaron or Alessia and with my luck they were together, keeping a watchful eye on the room and on Abe ** _._**

"Have you seen Rose?" I asked, urgency filling my tone.

"Might have" Aaron grunted, not looking at me.

"What's with the grunt?"

"You tell us" Alessia chimed in finally looking at me, "It was great working with you I guess Guardian Belikov, I hope protecting royal blood sustains any need you have to prove yourself"

I was beyond confused at this point. What made them think that I was no longer working with them? Proving myself?

"Excuse me? What are you talking about?" I growled,

"You could have told us you were accepting the Lady Ozera's proposal. I guess you didn't feel that Rose was good enough to protect" She turned away, focusing her attention back on the crowd before her.

"But-but, I didn't" I stuttered, Alessia's head snapped back towards me and her hard eyes widened.

"What? But we all saw you and Rose heard-" she cut herself off before she said anymore.

Tasha. They had seen my conversation with Tasha. What the hell had Rose heard?

"Alessia, what did Rose hear?" I growled beneath my breath.

She looked at Aaron with a panicked look in her eyes, he simply nodded to her, "She heard-" she gulped "She heard what Tasha called her, the _blood whore_ , and when you didn't defend her she came straight over to us. We couldn't believe what we had heard. Aaron was going to approach you about it but you were whispering something to her, and when we looked to Rose…she was gone" Alessia sighed, her eyes going from mine back to Aaron's and then resting down at her feet.

"I did defend her" I muttered, "I threatened Tasha's life for gods sake" I ran my hands through my hair roughly before taking the nearest drink that was being brought around by a waitress, downing the entire glass before screwing my face up at the sweetness of the wine.

"Where did she go?" I snapped.

Alessia and Aaron looked between each other, both of them lost for words and shrugging. I was starting to get anxious now. Rose had heard only the first part of the conversation. She heard Tasha talking down about her and insulting her, she hadn't stuck around to hear me defend her. it broke my heart and I didn't know where to find her so that I could make it right.

"I saw her heading to her room" a new voice chirped in, I turned to face glittering green eyes, Dragomir eyes. The Princess.

Relief flooded me. Her room. Thank god.

"Thank you Princess" I gasped as I kissed her hand "Thank you so much"

"It's my pleasure really Guardian Belikov. Anyone who threatens the life of my fiancé's wretched Aunt is good in my books" she winked at me before turning back around to the group of young Moroi women waiting behind her.

I teared out of the ballroom and sprinted towards the guest housing. As I got to her suite, there was strip of illuminated light coming from under the door. She was in there.

I knocked on her door, "Roza please…" I sighed into the door, "Please let me in".

I rested my forehead against the hard wood. I could hear hear her footsteps walking slowly towards the door from the other side but the lock didn't click open nor did the door handle move.

"Roza…" I began again.

"Don't Dimitri" she whispered from the other side, interrupting my pleads.

"Roza please, just let me in so I can talk to you…so I can explain myself".

I heard nothing for almost a minute. It was so quiet that I though she had walked away from the door. Taking a step back, I took a final deep breath and prepared myself to leave her be when I heard the lock click and the door creak slowly open. Rose stood in the door way, still in her dress and heels but her hair in a messy bun, some strands that hadn't been captured in the bun hung around her eyes, her bleary and wet eyes. She had been crying.

"Oh Roza" I said moving toward her but she jumped back before I could touch her.

"Please don't do that Dim-itri" her voice breaking as she said my name, putting her palms up in front of her in case I tried to reach for her again.

This was it. This was where I had to be honest. I had to tell her everything that as on my mind. I had to tell her about my love for her and this was my only shot. If she didn't accept it...it was all over and I sure as hell didn't want that. I wanted to fight by her side for the rest of our lives. I wasn't going to let her go so easy. I was going to fight for her. Three weeks wasn't a long time, but it was all it took for me to fall completely in love with this woman.

"Roza, I didn't accept Tasha's proposal, nor was I going to. I wouldn't leave your side for anyone or anything" I hung my head, "I was repulsed by what she said about you"

She just stared at me not saying anything. I had to just say it and get it out there, I couldn't avoid it.

"Roza…I love you and nothing would change that" I hung my head, waiting for whatever outburst she had for me, any insults she could throw at me. But nothing came. I lifted my head to gauge her reaction; her almond shaped eyes were wide in shock and mouth slightly agape.

"You-you love me?" she stuttered.

I scoffed, "How could I not Roza? Everything about you entrances me" I took a tentative step towards her and she didn't move back this time.

"W-what to love about me?" she whispered.

A smile began to form on my lips, "Your hair".

I reached out and unclasped the pin holding her hair high up and let the locks cascade down her back and over her shoulders. I dropped the pin to the floor and slowly touched the wavy locks that had fell forward; I looked directly into her eyes and caressed the scar on her collarbone with the pad of my thumb.

"I love your scars; they make you the woman that you are, they show how strong you are" I took one more step towards her, closing whatever distance was left between us, our lips were mere millimetres apart, her breath caught as I snaked my arm out and wrapped it behind her, caressing the small of her back.

"I love the way you dance" I whispered finally, "the way your body moves and how beautifully it-it…"

"What does it do that's so beautiful Dimitri?" Rose whispered, her lips grazing mine as she spoke, I shuddered as tiny electric pulses fired through my lips and jaw.

I could feel my arousal coming to the surface; whatever animal was inside me was coming alive and it had found its target.

"Everything" I growled as I closed that tiny distance between our lips, kissing her softly at first until both of our desires picked up, the kiss turned hungry as my tongue grazed over her bottom lip, asking for entrance to her mouth. Her lips separated without hesitation and our tongues danced ferociously together.

I kicked my leg behind me and slammed the still open door shut as I pulled her even closer to me.

I trailed my hands down her back, capturing the dress's tiny zipper between my fingers and bringing it down with my hand. I broke the kiss to watch the dress fall to the floor, leaving Rose standing before me in nothing but her black panties and heels.

She was perfect. She looked like a goddess standing before me. I could feel an appreciative moan forming deep in my chest as my eyes surveyed her body. She stood proudly as well, she knew she was beautiful and she wasn't planning on hiding her body from me.

She leaned up and captured my lips again and my hands returned to her waist as our lips fought for dominance, neither of us was willing to submit. I moved from her waist to the backs of her thighs and hoisted her up, her legs wrapping instinctively around my waist, as if they were destined to be there.

I began to trail bruising kisses across her jawline and then down her neck. She let out a moan and she tightened the hold her legs had on me as I left my mark on her neck. Reaching back, I removed her heels and they fell to the carpeted floor with soft _thuds_ before carrying her over to her bed, sitting down so she was straddling me. She immediately went for my belt buckle, undoing it in record time and undoing my zipper; with a quick change of position I had the suit pants off and they were discarded at my feet.

My hands cupped her breasts, showering them with kisses as her hands delicately removed my tie but then fumbled with the buttons of my shirt. She eventually found them too tedious, so with a strong tug she broke the shirt apart allowing the remaining buttons to fly in random directions and then threw it away from us.

It was the hottest thing I had ever seen. I dropped my hands from her breasts so that they rested on her hips and looked up at her. Her fingers trailed down the skin of my chest, her nails leaving little red lines against my tanned skin. This wasn't the first time she had seen me without a shirt on, but it was the first time she as able to run her hands over the body that I worked hard for.

I couldn't handle not touching her or kissing her, so I wrapped my hand in the hair at the nape of her neck and I laid myself down, pulling her down with me and flipped us over so that I was hovering above her. I finally saw her how she was in my dreams. Her dark hair splayed over the duvet like a crown, and lips swollen and her chest heaving from anticipation. She attempted to reclaim my lips but I softly pushed her back flat onto the bed and began kissing her neck, nipping softly at the skin. Slowly moving my lips down to her breasts, I captured her left nipple in my mouth and tugged greedily as I palmed the right one.

She bucked her hips into me and moaned loudly in approval. I let out a low growl as she began tugging at my hair, trying to pull me back up her. I had other ideas though.

"Dimitri…where…" she moaned softly, closing her eyes and spreading her legs slightly, allowing me more access to her. I trailed my kisses from her breasts and moved further down, kissing the skin under her breasts, her stomach and then down to her abdomen.

She whimpered again as my lips left fiery trails over her flesh, the delicate flesh of her inner thighs this time. My short stubble lightly scratching the sensitive skin " _Roza, Roza, Roza_ " I chanted as I kissed her.

When I reached her heat I gave her one final fleeting look, a look that asked her to give herself over to me completely. She met my eyes for a second and gave me a swift nod. Without teasing her any further, I placed my thumb on her clit and rubbed small, soft circles until her moans became louder.

"Dimitri" she whimpered, "I love you too,"

I withdrew my lips from her inner thighs and swiftly removed the now soaked lace panties; her only remaining clothing left and replaced my thumb with my tongue. I couldn't handle not being able to taste her any longer.

She was like a drug. One taste and I was hooked instantly. I was completely as her mercy now.

I didn't get a chance to bring her to climax with my tongue though, she wrapped her hands in my hair again and tugged a bit rougher so that she pulled upwards and was hovering over her again. My shoulder length hair created a dark curtain around us as she brought her hands up and cupped my cheeks softly.

"I love you so much Dimitri".

"I love you too _Milaya_ ".

With those word, my lips came crashing back down to hers with more fire that I had ever experienced. I removed my boxers, which were the last piece of clothing either of us were wearing and held one of her legs up against my waist. She looked down and her eyes widened in shock.

"Dimitri, I don't know if _that_ will fit" nervousness filling her voice.

"We'll take it slow then" I whispered as my lips trailed along her neck.

Slipping my fingers down to her core, I probed softly to ensure that she was ready. She definitely was.

I slowly came closer and closer to the sweet apex we had been teasing each other with for the past month, her leg locked around my waist as she secured her position beneath me and arched her back up so that there was not a part of us that wasn't touching and with her arch I began filling her up and causing us both to cry out with pleasure.

We stayed like that for a couple of seconds before I began moving into her. I started slow, letting her become acquainted to my size but within seconds she was grinding her hips into me, causing me to go deeper and deeper.

I moved myself in and out of her as her cries became louder and more pleasure filled. She locked her eyes with mine as our hips became closer faster and harder, with each stroke my groans became more and more rough.

She moaned loudly as I brought myself into her over and over again. I didn't know how much longer I would be able to go for; she was like my own version of kryptonite. When I felt her walls tighten around me and her body begin to shiver and convulse with her orgasm, I knew that I wouldn't be far behind her.

I helped her ride out her orgasm as she threw herself back on the bed, her hands clutching the duvet above her head and allowing me to grip onto her hips to bring myself deeper and deeper into her and as her orgasm came to an end, mine began. I strained as her walls became too much for me to handle as my orgasm filled her.

I collapsed ontop of her chest, my face resting on her breasts as she caressed my hair away from my face.

"You really are a God," she whispered breathlessly.

"And you, my goddess" I breathed back.


	12. The Hit

**_Author's Note:_**

 _I said that I would try, and I did it!_

 _The majority of this chapter is back story from before Ivan died and Dimitri became Rose's Guardian. There are also some ends you didn't know where loose that are about to be tied._

 _Enjoy xx_

 _\- RCap_

* * *

 _"And you, my goddess" I breathed back._

We lay on our sides facing each other for some time. Neither of us speaking, just our body pressed up against each other. It was almost like if one of us spoke it would break some sort of spell that was over us.

I was tracing circles with my finger on her shoulder when she sighed contently, nudging closer she buried her face in my chest and spoke.

"I don't want this to end" she sighed.

"Don't want what to end _milaya_?" I asked.

"Don't hate me Comrade…"

I immediately tensed up. Something was coming, I wasn't sure what it was, but the fact that she was trying to pre-warn me of it made me anxious. What could she possibly say to me that would make me hate her or ruin the moment we were having?

"I have to order the hit" she said quietly.

 _Yep, that would do it._ I thought to myself.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I couldn't be mad at her, I knew this would be coming, hell, I had even told Tasha that it would be coming. Rose had let it slide I guess up until now.

I didn't know how these things worked. How did she even organise something like this? Who would even be doing it? There was nothing I could do about it now but. I tried to convince Tasha to leave and she came back, just like I knew she would have though.

That look in her eyes when I had told her to leave. She wasn't going to stay away and I shouldn't have thought for one second that she would have.

I felt a sick knowing that Tasha's death was now about to be scheduled into Rose's diary or something. I wasn't her biggest fan at the moment, especially with her trying to manipulate the monarchy and having an insane hatred of Rose, but I wasn't so sure that she deserved to die because of it.

But Rose had said things that made the punishment make a certain amount of sense. They had to look out for their own heads and adding another enemy would only create them…no, not them…us. It would create more problems for _us_. I was just as deep into this now as Rose was but there was no way I was backing out now that I had _her_.

"I know" I eventually said, "Can I ask you a question though?"

She leaned out and looked up at me with those big beautiful eyes, "Yeah, anything"

"Who?"

It was a question that I had wanted to ask since she had first mentioned killing Tasha, but I didn't want to find that information out when I still believed I had a chance to save her. Not anymore though, Tasha had made her choice despite my warnings.

Rose shuffled up so that she was at the same height as me. Her pupils dilated as she stared at me, and I could see her visibly struggle with telling me who. Was it someone that I knew? She had put Sydney on standby? Was it her then?

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay oblivious in all this Dimitri?" she whispered, "Once you know, it kind of makes you an accessory if shit goes downhill"

I took her face in my hands and brushed my lips against her own before speaking, "Rose, these last few weeks I've questioned every single moral or belief I have ever had. I have met _creatures_ that I never knew existed and even questioned my loyalty to Moroi which I would have never done until I met you"

"Dimi-" she tried to interject but I cut her off.

"I don't regret any of it though Rose. I've thought about leaving the Guardian Council so that I can stay as your Guardian in any scenario and I can see that you have so much love and devotion in you despite the career you have. You're a good person and I know that you know that deep down"

"You were going to leave the Guardian Council?" she whispered.

" _Are_. I'm seriously considering it Rose. There are things that I've come to realise that I never would have if it wasn't for you".

"And what would that be?" she whispered as she moved closer in my arms, her lips coming very close to my own.

"They don't always come first" I smiled as I planted my lips to her own.

It wasn't a hungry kiss, it was a soft and sweet one. One that was filled with love and not pure lust. Feeling her lips on mine though made me realize that I would never be able to have enough.

I could still taste the bite of alcohol on her tongue, that I'm sure my own possessed as well, as she tangled her fingers in my hair and pulled me closer to her. We had to come up for air though which was disappointing.

"I'd love to take you home to Baia" I mumbled against her lips once it had been broken.

"I've been to Baia befo-" Rose started but abruptly cut herself off.

I looked at her puzzled. Rose had been to Baia before? When and with who? It wasn't a very big place and the town would have talked immensely about Abe Mazur's daughter visiting.

Why did she cut herself off though?

"You've been to Baia?" I asked slowly while raising an eyebrow at her.

She hesitated slightly before answering, "Yeah. I visited when I was eighteen, just before St Basil's was about to go back"

"What business would you have in Baia?" I laughed lightly while trying to make light of how scared I actually was of the answer she would have.

She shrugged and mumbled her answer, "Favours I guess. Baba helps people and they help him…" her voice drifted off and my mind began to run at a full sprint.

Rose had accidently shared information that I was rapidly beginning to piecing together, and when it came together I couldn't stop myself from jumping out of the bed and staring shocked at Rose.

"It was you" I whispered.

The girl on the phone. Five years ago, before Vika went back to school. Rose's age and the time of year matched those details. God that accent! The voice had spoken Russian to me that night. How hadn't I placed the voice once I had heard Rose speak Russian?

"Wasn't it" I gaped while looking down at her.

Rose sat up in the sheets and crossed her legs underneath her. She pulled the white bed sheets up and wrapped them around her chest so that she wasn't sitting completely exposed. Even though I was currently kind of mad at her for some unknown reason, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked.

Sitting on the bed and completely surrounded by white, she looked like some kind of exotic goddess. The sheets made her skin look darker than normal, and her hair was a perfect mess of unruly waves that cascaded over her shoulders.

Her eyes seemed to glaze over, and her face became straight, there was no remaining anxiousness in her features, she was 'all-business Rose'.

"Yes, it was me" she said strongly, "the call came from me"

My jaw clenched as I processed Rose's confession. All those years I had wondered who that woman was. How would Rose have even known about me when she was living in Turkey?

"You need to explain more Rose" I shook my head and looked down at her as she sighed.

She tapped the spot next to her on the bed and shuffled over so there was more room. I didn't move though and I wasn't so sure I could yet. I was honestly too shocked by this. It wasn't like I felt betrayed, but it did make me wonder how much Rose knew about me before she met me.

"Could you pass me that?" she pointed to my ruined dress shirt that had been discarded on the floor near where I was standing. I wordlessly picked it up and walked it over to her. She slipped it on and did up the three remaining buttons that were still attached to the shirt. The buttons only allowed Rose to cover her breasts, as the rest of the shirt remained open and exposed her flat stomach.

"Comrade?" her voice broke me out of my thoughts and pulled my gaze away from her body, "I'll tell you every, but can you please sit down?"

Her eyes were wide with worry now. She was scared that I was going to react badly. I wanted to reassure her that I wouldn't, but I didn't know what she was going to tell me, so I wasn't sure how I was going to react. I sat down on the edge of the bed and turned my torso so that I was facing her, being up close again to her meant that I was able to notice how tense her muscles were and the fact that she seemed to be holding her breath before speaking.

"It was just before St Basils went back to school. Alexei was still in Novice training at the Academy in Istanbul, so Baba took Vasili and I on his trip to Baia"

"Why weren't you and Vasili at school?" I mumbled.

"Vasili and I graduated together. He's twenty-three as well and since neither of us were becoming Guardians we didn't have to stay for the Novice trails. We just graduated and left"

"Oh" I muttered under my breath trying to hide the sudden burst of jealousy that coursed through me. I didn't know anything about her 'friendship' with Vasili. Would it be wrong of me to consider the fact that they may have had something romantic previously? I wanted to ask her but the conversation at hand was more important, so I let her continue.

"We decided that the night before school was going back that we would go hunting, to see if we could catch anything lurking around the clubs" she took a deep breath, "I know more about your family than what you've told me Dimitri. I've only ever talked to your mom, and it was only over the phone. Baba told us that we would have to eventually introduce ourselves to Olena so Vasili and I were planning to visit her that night, but we found out that she had some _significant_ guests that were already there"

Ivan and I were those guests that night. We had gone to visit my family before Vika went back to school for her senior year. The fact that she knew that I had been in the home where she was going to go for a friendly visit unnerved me. I mean, I could have met Rose that night by pure chance, but she didn't come round, did she know it was me?

I couldn't get my head around her knowing Mama though, or the fact that there was a good chance of Rose knowing about me before I became her Guardian.

"Did you know that I was becoming your Guardian?" I mumbled before I could stop myself.

She shook her head, "Baba and Olena are old friends. When Baba heard of Ivan's death he didn't want you to be placed with a family that wouldn't appreciate your service. So he went to Tatiana and requested you for me. It was plausible, she wasn't going to assign me a second Guardian, but seeing as Sofia had just died I was due to be assigned another at any time. I was beyond surprised when Baba introduced us the night of the party. The fact that I was already pretty tipsy probably didn't help either"

Eddie had said that several Guardians at Court had put their hands up to be Rose's Guardian, himself and Mason included and yet I had been selected even though I expressed no interest in the role. I had expected from the beginning that someone must have recommended or put me forward for the position but what I hadn't expected was Abe to have been that person.

 _"When the Queen suggested you for Rose I must admit I was sceptical at first, but alas, your records won me over son"_

That's what Abe had said to me when I had first met him. He was just acting though. He had suggested me to the Queen for the position, he wanted me as Rose's Guardian. He had planned this all from the beginning. But was Rose in on it? She said she didn't know about me becoming her Guardian, but that didn't mean that she was oblivious to who I was.

"Did you know who I was?" I blurted out.

She broke eye contact for the first time since she had started talking and looked down at her hands, "I knew _of_ you. Olena talked about you a lot, she would gush about her only son who was a respected Guardian but I only knew your name. If I had of ever been inside your family home, I would have known at least what you looked like. Baba said there were a lot of family photos hanging on the walls. I would have even met you _that_ night if I had of come around to see her"

A thought jumped into my head that I needed answered. Her answer would also tell me how much she had lied or deceived me in some way during the past month. I had to ask it, but would she tell me the truth?

"Did you know about Ivan's death before I told you?"

Her eyes went wide, and she reached over and grabbed my hands, "No Dimtri! Please believe me when I say I only knew your name. I didn't know who your charge was or that he had passed. I thought you had just been reassigned to me for some reason. When Baba told me your name I had to hold in a lot of shock so that I wouldn't freak you out or anything"

What about in the gym in their basement? I mean, she had flirted with me and tried to guess my age. Was it a question that she already knew the answer to and was just toying with me?

It was like she knew what I was thinking when she spoke next, answering the new question that filtered through my mind.

"I also didn't know your age, I wasn't lying when I guessed" she smiled softly and looked back down at her hands.

That brought me a small comfort through this entire conversation. She wasn't lying to me. She had never been inside my home therefore she had never seen the photos that lined mama's walls, she had heard my name and some stories, but she didn't know anything personal about me.

She was genuine.

"That night," she began again, "I saw Viktoria with that Moroi boy and I thought about what was going to happen to that poor girl. I didn't know she was your sister until he mentioned her last name. I went into a panic almost instantly and called Baba, he gave me the number for your home…"

As she spoke, her words became distant and muffled and I was brought back to that night.

* * *

 _Approximately Five years ago:_

 _The four of us were sitting in the lounge room drinking coffee and just talking about recent events when the phone rang loudly. Mama immediately got up to go answer the ringing phone around the kitchen corner._

 _"Hello?" I heard her answer in Russian sweetly and after a short pause she began to gush happily to whoever was on the other end, "Roza my dear, how are you?"_

 _I wasn't aware of anyone by the name of 'Roza' living in Baia. She must have been new to the town and found some sort of friendship with my mother. But she hadn't mentioned a woman by the name of 'Roza' to me yet and neither had any of my sisters. Normally the Belikov women were quite the gossipers, especially when I came to new arrivals in our town. So I was surprised that the first I was hearing of this 'Roza' was over a phone call that I was currently eavesdropping on._

 _My babushka leaned forward out of her seat and snapped her fingers at me. It pulled me from my thoughts and caused me to lose track of the conversation my mama was having._

 _"Put your shoes on Dimka" she said with a toothy grin._

 _"Why? I have no plans?" I said back uncertainly._

 _"You do now" she smirked as she leaned back._

 _Once she was settled back into her seat, my phone began to vibrate in the back pocket of my jeans. Pulling it out I looked at the screen telling me 'Private Caller'. I looked up at my Babushka puzzled but she only smiled and encouraged me to answer the call. I looked to my left and found that Ivan had the same confused expression on his face. I answered the call with my regular greeting._

 _"Belikov" I grunted_

 _"Guardian Belikov" a female voice laced with a faint Turkish accent echoed through the phone with my title, "Your sister is going to be in some serious trouble in about ten minutes if you aren't downtown"_

 _I could faintly hear in the background of the call a thumping sound. Music? The woman did say downtown?_

 _"Are you threatening my sister?" I accused immediately, I looked to my Babushka who rolled her eyes dramatically at me and the voice on the other end of the call scoffed loudly._

 _"I think you can gauge from the music in the background of this call where I am. You need to be downtown as soon as possible. Viktoria is about to get into something she will regret. She won't listen to a stranger's warnings, but she will her brother. Do you understand?"_

 _"Yes" I answered automatically. The line went dead upon my answer and I leapt from the couch and began pulling on my shoes, "Vika is in trouble"_

 _"You should have put your shoes on when I told you to" my Babushka scoffed from her chair._

 _Ivan and I raced towards the other end of town where the only nightclub was open, and it wasn't a reputable one. Getting to the front of the club, there was a small crowd waiting to get in, but I couldn't spot Vika anywhere._

 _"She must have gone in Dimka" Ivan said as he tried to catch his breath from our sprint. I looked towards the doors which had a couple of largely muscled Dhampirs stationed out the front. It didn't take long for us to push our way to the front by using Ivan's royal title as leverage._

 _Once we were though the doors, I was conflicted on which way to go. I could feel the vibrations of the music pulsing through the floor and up through my body. We could only go two ways. One hallway seemed to lead to louder music as well as red, purple and white flashing lights. Whereas the opposite hallway was lined with wooden doors. I knew exactly what they were used for and what would be behind those doors._

 _A familiarly loud giggle erupted from the hallway I really didn't want to go down, but now I knew I had to. That was Vika's laugh. I just prayed that she wasn't already in one of the rooms. I looked to Ivan who had finally caught his breath and he stared down the hallway darkly._

 _I forced my feet to walk into the hallway and as I turned down the first corner, I spotted what I was looking for; a flash of long brown hair streaked with purple disappearing behind one of the doors. I stalked towards it in long strides, not surprised to find that the door had been locked behind them. I wasn't in the mood for taking care with private property so using my shoulder, I threw my entire body weight into the door and the pathetic lock buckled under the force making the door smash open with me._

 _Vika and the Moroi sprang apart from their compromising position near the door, both of their swirls of emotions displayed on their faces as they processed what was happening. Vika's face morphed from annoyance to anger and finally rested with embarrassment when she recognised me standing beside the broken door. However the Moroi she he been kissing showed the same annoyance, but he rested with anger and began yelling at me. I wasn't having that though. I was here for my little sister, not to have a Moroi yell at me. I didn't care who he was, he could be royal for all I cared, but I knew what these rooms were used for and he had brought my seventeen year old sister into one._

 _I was in front of him in two long steps and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him off the ground and silencing his yelling. I got close to his face and spoke with calmness that scared even myself._

 _"Walk out of here before you never walk again"_

 _I threw him to the ground and he looked up at me horrified, his face began to morph back into anger as I felt the heat in the room amp up considerably._

 _"I wouldn't try anything if I were you, Kislyak" I heard Ivan threaten from behind me but the young Moroi ignored him and leapt to his feet, producing a small ball of fire in his right palm as he stood up. I wasn't going to have this 'child' threaten me with his magic. Before he even had a chance to use his offensive magic, I reached out and let my fist connect with his nose, leaving a sickening crack lingering in the air and blood pouring from the affected area._

 _"If I ever hear of you around my family again, you won't have hands to use your little balls of fire left"_

 _I didn't give him anymore of my attention. I turned to Vika and grabbed her upper arm and pulled her out of the room and down the hallway. Once we had re-emerged from the dark club I let go of Vika's arm and she immediately began lashing out at me, but it was all background noise to me, I was too focused on something else, or better described, somebodies._

 _Two figures stood on the other side of the street. The male was in full light of the lamppost, he was a Dhampir but he was young, a few years older than Vika maybe. He was largely muscled and had a small smirk on his face. He placed his right hand on the shoulder of the other figure, a much shorter and female one. She looked to be the same age as the Dhampir standing beside her but I couldn't see her very well though as darkness covered most of her features._

 _I could see that both Dhampirs were dressed head to toe in black and the female had her hair up in a ponytail. After a few seconds, the male Dhampir retreated into the darkness and dropped his hand from the female's shoulder to the space on her back between her shoulders. They turned and began heading the opposite way down to the street. The male moved his hand down to her lower back and urged her forward but not before I noticed the whip of her long ponytail which would only have occurred with her turning back to look at me._

 _The lamppost picked up one final thing before they were submerged in darkness, the sliver glint on their waists. Guardians never holstered their silver stakes so openly, they must have been rogues._

* * *

"I didn't get a good look at your face that night, the only thing I saw was a massive angry Russian guy with long hair pull a girl out of the club. When I saw she was safe, I left" Rose finished.

"That was you and Vasili on the other side of the street wasn't it?" I asked curiously.

She nodded and squeezed my hands in hers, "You did a good thing Roza, it's just a shame I didn't know who to thank for five years" I mumbled.

I had no reason to be hurt by this revelation with Rose. She was the reason my sister didn't make the biggest mistake of her life, she saved my sister. Sure, she knew some details about my family that I would have liked to have told her myself, but she didn't know me. She hadn't conspired with her father for me to be her Guardian, that was purely Abe.

I pulled her into a tight hug that she immediately returned, I kissed the top of her hair, "Thank you _milaya_ "

She sighed happily in my embrace but she tensed up again within a few seconds.

"Alex" she said softly

"Hmm?" I muttered, pulling back slightly so that I was looking down at her.

She leaned back and looked up at me "I had Sydney on standby to get Alex out of Australia for me"

Sydney was on standby for the hit on Tasha though, why would Rose-

"Alex does the hits, Dimitri. He will complete this hit on Tasha".

"So that's why he's here?" I asked slowly.

"I tried to get him here before I gave you a chance to convince Tasha to leave. He was having too much 'fun' though" she rolled her eyes

"You were speaking Russian to him though, I understood what you had were saying to him"

She shrugged, "Both of us are fluent in many languages, it just depends what we are feeling. I find that Russian is more fun to speak in when you are trying to make a point. It feels more ominous"

"How will he do it?" I whispered looking away from her and towards the window. It was still the Moroi night, so a thick band of light was trying to get in past the curtains. I tried to focus on it, but I couldn't.

"Depends how he approaches her. No one knows if she is going to put up a fight or not".

Rose touched my chin and moved me so that I was once again facing her, "I'm sorry Dimitri. I know she was a good friend to you but we have to do this. I'll try make this as painless and clean for you as we can okay?"

How would she do that? How could she alter the way that Alexei was going to kill Tasha? He would do his own thing anything no matter what she said and I strongly believed that.

"I'll be there when it goes down to keep it all in control" she whispered as she looked at me. I think she could see the conflict in my eyes over this. I didn't want her to have to be there to keep her brother in check.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _Another chapter done and the next couple will have a lot of action in them._

 _Even though this story is told from Dimitri's POV, I'm considering making a chapter from Rose's POV as a once off so that you guys will actually be able to see Tasha's death._

 _Any thoughts? Or would you guys prefer me to keep it all Dimitri? Or even **both** Rose and Dimitri's POVs? Please let me know!_

 _Hope everyone enjoys their Easter and the long weekend off work, I know I'm happy with four days off work!_

 _\- RCap_


	13. It's Just Business Part l

_**Author's Note:**_

 _Hi Readers,_

 _I decided to split this chapter into two parts, one will be from Dimitri's POV and the next will be from Rose's. Dimitri's POV is a tad shorter than Rose's but don't fret because_ _I have also almost finished Rose's POV, so you will be getting two chapters this week again!_

 _They will be a few days apart though. Keep an eye out for it on Friday or Saturday (depending on which country you live in)._

 _I also want to thank everyone who has reviewed/favourited/followed cause you guys are what convince me to keep writing this story. It means a lot to me xx_

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _Lemons ahead and a little gore._

 _-RCap_

* * *

I woke up a few hours later to an empty bed. I reached out in the darkness to the other side of the bed, but found just cold sheets in my hands.

I sat up questioningly and looked to see if I could find anything that would tell me where Rose was. Her boots were gone from beside the door, as was her coat, she must have gone to see her brother or something.

I couldn't help but assume the former and I would bet money that it was about Tasha. I knew it would have been coming sooner or later, but I wasn't expecting it to be later in the night. I could only hope that Tasha had heard my warning and left court as soon as she could. Maybe then she would have a chance against the siblings.

I got up and walked over the window, pulling the curtains back I was momentarily blinded by the sun pouring in through the glass. I looked away hastily and the light caught the reflection of something on one of Rose's bedside tables. It looked like a photograph.

I walked over to the table and picked up the worn photo. The edges had curled with it's age, and a white line split the photo down the middle from being folded over too many times. Just by the looks of it, this photo was something that Rose carried everywhere, and I could see why.

The photo had a six or seven year old Rose being held by Abe in one of his extravagant blue suits. His beard sharp and precisely cut, a twinkle almost seemed to reflect from his eyes, much like the small golden hoops that hung from his ears did. His smile was large and matched Rose's smile which was missing her front teeth. Her features were soft and childlike and her white dress being a strong contrast to her tanned skin and already long dark hair. Her brother was similar in the photo; he was also wearing white but had a grey vest on over top. His dark coffee coloured curls almost covered his eyes there was so much of them, he had a toothy grin on his face as he was hugged by Janine, Rose's mom.

She was just as I had seen her in her Guardian photos, short red hair and pale skin specked with freckles. It was amazing that her children didn't take after her as much as they did Abe. They both shared the same features of their father but seemed to have so much fire within them that resembled Janine, as Rose had told me. The picture looked so perfect, everyone looked so happy. It was heartwarming but also heartbreaking. Little did they know that a few years later there would only be three of them.

I placed the photo back on the table and sighed. I looked back to the window and cursed internally as the vampire schedule. I loved the sun, but for the moment it was giving me a headache. I stalked back to the window and closed the drapes again before settling back into the bed. I couldn't help feeling a little deflated after finding the photo. Rose didn't have that perfect picture anymore; she only had a memory of it.

A few minutes later, the door clicked open and in walked Rose. He looked gorgeous, with her hair wild and wavy and her clothes hugging her curves.

Her face lit up upon noticing me still in her bed and a smile spread across her lips, "What are you doing awake?" she said before closing the door behind her.

I watched her shrug out of her coat and place it on the couch before she walked over the bed and sat down beside me.

"Waiting for you to come back," I whispered reaching out to touch the locks of her hair that had fallen forwards and draped over her shoulders.

She opened her mouth, almost as if she wanted to speak, but I couldn't stop myself from claiming her lips with mine. I needed to touch her, to taste her. It was like I had been going through withdrawals for the past few hours, and now that I had her, I couldn't stop touching her.

I wrapped her hair around my hands as I pulled her closer to me, wanting to feel every part of her against me. I pulled her down with me to the mattress and shifted her so that she was straddling me and with speed I didn't know I had, I had removed her shirt and her bra and was planting kisses over her breasts. When I got a loud moan of approval I began nipping at the soft skin and hard nubs.

My desire was alight and I could feel her grounding her hips into mine, those jeans needed to go.

I rolled her over and removed the offending article, throwing it into the semi dark room and set my attention of the lace panties that were before me. I loved lace and it looked even better on Rose than anything else, I played the edges of them and she arched her back in demand.

I was surprised though when her leg locked around my waist and she rolled us back over so that she was on top of me again.

I looked up at the goddess on top of me in all her glory. Her hair wild and her eyes hungry for me, "Is this okay?" she asked, her voice sounding like velvet to my ears.

My own desire took over my body and I found myself wanting to rid her of the final piece of clothing between us. I'd have to rip them; I didn't want her to have to dismount me to remove them though.

" _Depends. Did you need these?"_ I asked her, not realising that I was speaking in Russian until the words had left my lips. She shook her head and I ripped at the seams of the fabric, splitting the panties in three different ways so that I could easily discard them.

I began to play with her, using my finger to tease her into desperation. Slipping my fingers occasionally in and out of her and giving her small bursts of pleasure. I finally drove her to the edge though when she shifted her hips and lowered herself into me. I couldn't help the moan that escaped my lips when she had fully sheathed me.

She didn't wait though, she began moving her hips and setting my body on fire. I needed to kiss her though, to touch her in more places so I heaved my body up, letting a single arm hold both our weights and pulling her in for a rough kiss.

Both of us were breathing heavily as I moved in and out of her; she was also being just as rough though, bringing her body down onto me with equal passion and intensity.

I looked at her with her eyes closed as she moaned and I knew I would do anything this woman asked of me. She was my entire world at this point and I would do anything to ensure her happiness. Her eyes snapped open and they surveyed me, looking into my soul and finding out my deepest secrets.

I felt her walls begin to twitch and clamp down on me, her mouth opened with a scream, "Dimitri".

I knew she was close to her climax, so I pushed harder and faster into her as her body began to shake with her orgasm. I was far from done with her though. I let my arm give out underneath me and we collapsed back onto the mattress. I rolled us over so that I was hovering over her and she flashed me a seductive smile.

I positioned myself with her core again and slammed back into her. She cried out with pleasure as I took the leg she had now locked around my waist and placed it over my shoulder. I could almost feel her opening up further for me and as I pounded into her, her moans becoming louder and louder the faster I went.

"Oh, fuck Dimitri" she moaned loudly again as her walls began to spasm around me, and with her coming undone once again, I was too. I grunted as I climaxed and eventually fell into her chest, lost for breath and strength to move.

I hugged her closely in my arms as I whispered in Russian to her, " _You are amazing Rose_ "

She laughed softly before I rolled off her, lying on our backs next to each other we just stared at the ceiling, our joint ragged breathing being the only sound in the room.

"That was different" she finally said once she had regained her breath, I looked at her with a puzzled look, different?

Seeing my confusion she clarified her statement, "Earlier it was like making love, it was passionate. This though...this was fucking" she turned her head towards my and smiled.

I chuckled as I pulled her body closer to mine. I pulled the duvet over us and kissed her temple, "Sleep _milaya_. You've had a big night"

I felt her own laugh rumble through her and then through me, the vibrations making me feel warm and happier than ever.

* * *

I was woken up few hours later by the sound of someone falling over and swearing to themselves. It was Rose.

What was she doing out of bed? I peaked at the window and was faced with the light trying to peak through the blackout curtains. It was definitely too early for her to be up.

"Where are you going Roza?" I asked darkly.

I heard her sigh in exasperation, she had been caught and now she couldn't sneak out. I reached over to the bedside table, glancing at the digital clock that told me it was _three_ in the morning. I groaned internally and turned on the lamp beside it, lighting the room up in a warm orange glow and giving me a visual of Rose at the foot of the bed. She was dressed only in her jeans from last night and a new bra.

"Where are you going?" I asked again, trying to distract myself from looking at her half naked body and how much I wanted to pull her back into bed. She leant down and scooped up her t-shirt from last night, pulling it on quickly.

"I'm sorry Dimitri," she mumbled as she quickly averted her eyes from me and went searching for the rest of her clothing.

I knew what she had been referring to. She was meeting Alexei now and they were going to Tasha's.

I could feel my body go cold and my muscles stiffen. I was going to lose a friend tonight and there was nothing I could do about it. I watched as she put her long hair up in a ponytail and finished dressing. However, when she spared me one final look before closing the door I saw despair in her eyes. Maybe she didn't want to do this; maybe there was still a chance that she would change things?

I couldn't get back to sleep after she left though. The look in her eyes when she left had screamed that she didn't want to do this that she didn't want to go through with the job. But she had still left.

I jumped out of bed and dressed in my clothes from the night before, including the ruined dress shirt. It was the middle of the vampire night so no one would be around when I left the room. I was heading for one of the all-night cafes that Court had to get my mind off what was happening as I sat helplessly.

I left Rose's room and looked down the hall to see Vasili leant up against the wall, what was he doing out here?

"You look like shit man" he snickered looking me up and down, "Here" he threw a white top at me that he must have been holding.

I momentarily glared at him and then the top before ridding my body of the ruined dress shirt and pulling the white shirt that went to my elbows. Why would he be carrying this around and waiting around in the hall with it?

"Rose asked me to keep an eye out for you" he stared, answering my internal question.

"Why would I need watching over?" I grunted under my breath, Vasili caught it however

"Well, you were about to leave the housing in a dress shirt with no buttons and it's obviously disturbing you where Rose and Alex are"

He was right on the money there.

"Did our Rose do that?" he smirked as he regarded the ruined shirt. I glared harshly at him before he broke out in laughter.

"Come on" he said still laughing as he waved me towards him and began walking to the exit, "Let's get a coffee or something"

Court was as dead as I thought it was going to be. The streets and grounds bare of anyone but the occasional Guardian walking around. The sun was shining brightly for a human's afternoon and I was internally glad that Vasili had given me that extra shirt. I didn't really want to have to be walking around in a top with only three buttons; I would have looked like a disaster after a big night.

Although, I was a little annoyed that Rose had asked Vasili to watch out for me while she was out; I'm not a child. We ordered our coffees and sat down at a table in complete silence. I hadn't had a chance to ask Rose last night about whatever relationship she might of had with Vasili years ago but should I ask Vasili directly?

That night in Baia it had looked like they were a couple with his hands on her back. I couldn't stop myself from it being the first thing that came out of my mouth.

"I know that it was you and Rose in Baia that night," I muttered, when I looked up at him though he didn't look shocked by my revelation, he looked mildly amused.

"Rose told you it was her who called you then?" he smirked wickedly

I nodded in return and looked back down to my coffee, "Were you guys ever like...a thing?" I asked under my breath, I wasn't sure I even wanted to know the answer.

Vasili began to answer but he was interrupted by my phone ringing loudly on the table, my head snapped towards it and saw Rose's name come up, I picked it up without even a second glance.

A million thoughts ran through my mind about why she would be calling. She didn't call often, she preferred to text, and that was the first red flag here. I knew what she was doing while I had been trying to keep myself occupied, but that didn't mean that nothing could go wrong.

"Roza?" I asked, trying not to let my voice break or show how much worry I was feeling.

"Dimitri. He's hurt!" She cried loudly through the phone, "Please, I need your help" her voice broke my heart. She couldn't even get her sentence out without it being broken by her sobs.

"Who's hurt milaya? Where are you?"

I had asked two questions but I only got one answer.

"Tasha's room. Please hurry"

I didn't ask for anything else, I hung up the phone and stood up so fast that the table in front of Vasili and I rocked and clanged against the tiled floor much to Vasili's surprise. His coffee spilled over the table and the cup fell to the floor, the ceramic smashing into pieces. The sound bounced through the café and the woman standing behind the counter looked up with a scowl on her face.

"Rose is in trouble" I grunted before tearing out of the cafe towards the Royal housing.

I pushed though the tables around me, moving them out of my way and kicking the chairs away, I knew that Vasili would be behind me only a bit further back though as he was now being slowed down trying to get around the trail of chairs and table that I had left as I rushed out of the cafe.

I ran though the grounds and past the Moroi housing before reaching Royal Housing. I didn't bother with the elevator and went straight for the stairs, taking them three at a time until I got to the fifth floor. I ran down the carpeted hallway to the Ozera wing and stared at the door when I reached it. I was hesitant to open it, afraid of what I would find but then I heard Rose's cry from the other side though, much like I had over the phone, it woke something in me that made me run into the door and swing it open. I froze dead in the doorway at what was before me.

Tasha's body was lying near the kitchen table, a she had been shot in the chest and blood was pooling beneath her and spreading over the plush cream carpet. A suitcase was open on top of the kitchen table and clothes were strewn between the table and the floor next to it.

Tasha was dead. They had _actually_ killed her. I thought I had gotten through to Rose about her being able to walk away from this. But I guess not. A rush of disappointment flooded through me and I felt my face pale and frown at the sight before me.

"Fuck!"

Vasili had now had caught up to me in the doorway. His curse snapping my attention away from Tasha's body as my eyes followed his movements. He dropped to the floor and next to two bodies that were a few meters from Tasha.

 _Two bodies_...

I looked down to the floor and saw Alexei and Rose. She was kneeling and crying hysterically beside Alexei who was lying flat on the carpet. As I took in the scene before me, I noticed that Rose's hands were covered in blood but I couldn't see if it was her own or not.

It was the smell in the room that got to me though. It was a sickly sweet aroma that I had only smelt a few times in my life. It was the smell of burning flesh. I removed my attention from Rose and focused on Alexei, the smell was coming from him.

His chest was black with charred skin and I could see the marks stretching up and over his shoulders and even reaching his neck. By the looks of his shirt and how it was burnt, Tasha had set him on fire. I couldn't even tell if he was still alive or not.

Rose had made the choice to spare Tasha's life but her brother was now possibly dead because of it.


	14. It's Just Business Part ll - RPOV

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hi all, part two is here! Remember this is from Rose's POV._

 _Note: When a character is talking in a different language (i.e. Turkish or Russian) I have simply left the words written in English, but they will be in italics. I prefer not to write in a different language's alphabet/characters as I feel it can disrupt a story with trying to figure out the translation. I hope I haven't made it complicated to read._

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _There will be a lemon and confronting scenes of injury/death. Please continue reading with caution._

 _\- RCap_

* * *

He lay tangled in the sheets with one arm behind his head. His biceps were flexed and taut. I had to suppress a moan just at the sight of him. His chest was bare, and the sheet only covered his lower body loosely, almost like an invitation.

"What are you doing awake?" I smiled, closing the door behind me.

I wasn't expecting Dimitri to be awake, I was hoping that he would still be asleep, so I could have pretended I never left, but I was somewhat glad he was awake. I removed my coat and draped it over the small couch that was in my room.

Just coming back from my rendezvous with Alex, I was a little tense. We had been discussing the details of the hit on Tasha and it was silently killing me inside.

I'd attempted to put up a strong face in front of Alex and Baba but deep down I had been doubting the reasoning for Tasha's impending death. I didn't think she deserved to die, but it was my job and I had already agreed to its terms.

It hurt a lot more than I let on. I didn't like showing my true feelings to anyone, not even my own flesh and blood. I had opened up to Dimitri about my deal with Jerome and now I felt like I could let him down.

I had never been afraid of letting people down before him. People were afraid of letting _me_ down. I was their boss. I'd never even been in love until Dimitri came into my life and the feeling had hit me like a ton of bricks. Every time he disapproved of something I did, it was like someone cutting into me with a knife. It brought me physical pain to disappoint him, to let him down.

I settled down on the bed next to him and he sat up so that his face was close with mine.

"Waiting for you to come back," he whispered as he played with the locks of my hair that were falling forward.

I wanted to tell him how much I hated that we were being told to kill Tasha. I wanted to tell him everything that was going through my head. I didn't want to leave him in the dark about anything anymore.

I opened my mouth to reveal every dark thing I held hidden in my mind, all the horrible crimes I had committed and kept stored deep down where I couldn't access them. But he stopped me.

His lips came hard against mine and took all the breath out of me. Everything I had wanted to say disappeared from my mind and left only him remaining. I returned the kiss just as hard as he had begun it. His hands became trapped in my hair and he pulled me closer to him, I didn't resist.

He pulled me down so that I straddled him and skilfully removed my top in a single motion. Unclasping my bra, he threw the fabric far from us and began showering my breasts with kisses.

I threw my head back in pleasure and wrapped my fingers in his hair, holding his head against my chest. The feel of his tongue and teeth under the delicate flesh was like heaven. No one had ever set me this alight as much as he did. I ground my hips into him and felt his chest rumble with a groan of appreciation.

He rolled us over and began working on my jeans. Undoing the button and zipper and pulling them down swiftly, his hands leaving trails of fire against my skin. He returned to my line of slight and his fingers played with the lace of my panties. I had a sudden desire to be in control though.

I hitched my leg around his waist and used my body weight to flip us so that I was straddling him again. Smiling down at his look of shock, I placed my hands on his chest and ground myself into him again, earning another growl from him.

"Is this okay?" I whispered sweetly, feeling him grow underneath me.

" _Depends,_ " he growled in Russian as he got a grip on the underside of my panties " _Did you need these?_ "

I didn't know what was hotter. Him talking in Russian or the feel of his fingers at my core. His words rolled off his tongue and gave me shivers. I shook my head, giving him the go ahead and letting him rip the panties off my body. The seams teared under his fingers and he was able to throw them away, so they joined my other clothes on the floor.

He traced his fingers along my core, letting them slip into me occasionally as I moaned in approval. I didn't want to play anymore though.

I shifted my hips so that he was at my entrance and slowly lowered myself onto him until I reached the hilt. He was like a missing piece to a puzzle, a puzzle that was my body. I felt complete with him in me, like he had been made just for me.

Both of us moaned with pleasure. I began slowly moving my hips and he matched my rhythm perfectly. He sat up and used his left arm to support both our weights while also arching his hips forward. His other hand gripped the nape of my neck and pulled me in for a deep kiss. Both of our breathing was ragged as our bodies slammed together and I could feel the heat of his body radiate through my own.

When I looked into his eyes it wasn't lust that I saw, it was love and admiration. He regarded me like he was a loyal servant and I was his master. The love in his eyes made me melt and I could feel my body continue to burn under his touch.

There was something obviously different about Dimitri that drew me towards him. I had only ever been with two other men in my life; Adrian was the only Moroi out of now three men. Dimitri's touch was different than the others. I never got tired of the feel of his lips or his fingertips on my body nor did I feel bored or neglected while with him.

I was coming to my climax fast and hard, I could feel him throb inside me as he too was giving in, but even though it seemed as he was close, I had a feeling he wasn't done with me quite yet. After a few more hard strokes I found my entire body begin to shake and convulse with my orgasm.

"Dimitri" I cried out as he didn't let up, he still pounded into me with the same force and low growls emitted from deep in his throat. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me as I rode out my orgasm. His arm must have given out under our weight, because we were soon hitting the mattress, I didn't have a chance to catch my breath before he was rolling us over so that he was on top of me again.

I flashed him my most seductive smile before feeling him against my inner thighs again. He slammed back into me and I couldn't stop the cry of pleasure that came from within me. I was already rubbed raw from our earlier encounter, but the line between pleasure and pain was beginning to blur once again.

I was taken by surprise when he grasped the ankle of my leg that was wrapped around his waist and placed it over his shoulder. I'd been in a similar position before but it hadn't done much for my level of pleasure, with Dimitri however is was very different, with a single stroke I was _blinded_ with pleasure.

Dimitri was getting deeper and deeper and his speed meant a second orgasm for me was defiantly on the cards. My moans escaped from me involuntary and they filled the room along with the sounds of our skin connecting and his low grunting.

"Oh, fuck Dimitri" I managed to yell as my second orgasm began racking my entire body. I felt waves of energy from the top of my body all the way down to my toes, and as my body came back down to earth, I felt Dimitri tense up and climax himself.

" _You are amazing Rose_ " he whispered in my ear again in Russian as he collapsed on top of me.

After a few moments, he rolled off me and we laid on our backs side by side.

"That was different" I finally murmured once I had full control of my breathing.

I saw him face me with his brows furrowed and a confused look on his face. He must have thought from my comment that I didn't enjoy myself.

I quickly fixed my sentence, "Earlier it was like making love, it was passionate" I said, remembering how careful he had been with me for our first time together and how loving he was. I felt a shiver go through me as I remembered the feel of him inside me for the first time.

"It was passionate. This though..." I paused slightly and chuckled under my breath "This was _fucking_ " I turned to face him fully and smiled winningly.

He kissed my temple and huskily murmured in my ear "Sleep _milaya._ You've had a big night"

The huskiness of his voice made my skin shiver and brought a smile to my face. He pulled the soft duvet over us and brought me closer to him.

I loved this man, and I was about to kill his friend tonight.

I didn't want to ruin this moment so I laughed softly and kept the smile on my face as he hugged me tightly against his warm body.

* * *

I woke up a few hours later to the faint sound of my phone buzzing on the floor. I peeked my head up and looked to where Dimitri had discarded my clothes earlier, finding my phone screen alight with a message. I knew it would be Alex texting me that he was waiting for me, I didn't want to leave Dimitri like this though. I didn't want to leave in the middle of the night while he was sleeping and then return later. But I had to get this done. One last job, and then no more. I was done after this.

I slipped out of his hold and pulled on a fresh pair of panties as well as my discarded jeans and bra that had been on the floor. I squinted and looked over the floor in the near complete darkness attempting to find my top, tripping over one of my heels in the process.

"Fuck" I muttered while kicking the shoe out of the way.

"Where are you going Roza?" I heard Dimitri ask in a low voice.

I sighed and closed my eyes, admitting defeat. The whole room lit up with the orange glow of the bedside lamp. I stood up to see Dimitri sitting up in the bed, the sheet covering his lower body.

"Where are you going?" he asked again. I looked down to avoid his eyes and found my shirt from before. I leant down, scooping it off the ground and pulled it quickly over my head and fanned my hair out behind me.

"I'm sorry Dimitri," I mumbled.

He knew what I was talking about; I didn't need to tell him where I was going or what I was doing because he knew exactly what it was. The horrified look in his eyes was enough to tell me how he was feeling, and it broke me in half.

I had to look away, if I continued looking at the expression on his face I would probably break down. So, I looked away and resumed dressing. I pulled my hair into a tight ponytail and slipped my heels on, as I grabbed my coat from the couch I dared one final look at the man in my bed before leaving. I shouldn't have, it only broke me into more pieces than before.

I looked down as I closed the door behind me, taking a deep breath before heading for Alex and Vasili's room. I looked down the hallway to find them both waiting a few doors down from my own room. I internally cursed when I saw the look in Alexei's eyes, this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Ready?" he glared me while screwed the silencer onto the gun in his palms.

"Can you not do that out here" I whispered hastily as he rolled his eyes,

"It's the middle of the night, no one is out"

I rolled my eyes as I felt my own gun hidden in the inside of my coat. I always carried a gun since Sofia died, I didn't want to risk anything like that night happening again.

"Did you really have to wear your heels to this?" he scoffed, while pointing downwards with his gun

"I'm not the bloodhound in this job" I shot back at him glaring, he only chuckled under his breath at the slur.

We were used to getting under each other's skin, but then again didn't most siblings aim to torment each other. We would fight like cats and dogs but within five minutes we would be back to normal. We would insult each other trying to cause the most damage possible, and there were times that we were able to acknowledge that we took it too far. We would comment on each other's personal lives and target respective partners. We would do anything to piss each other off.

Turning to Vasili I made another request, "Can you keep an eye on him while we are gone?" I nodded towards the door that I had just left from, "I doubt he won't go wandering"

"Of course, Rosie" he smiled as I visibly recoiled at the nickname he had bestowed upon me long ago.

It felt like we were in a movie as we seemingly stalked through Court. The roads were dead and there were no Guardians currently stationed in front of Royal housing. Baba had sorted that out so that we would have a clear run. We stepped into the elevator and I watched as the number ticked over from _G_ to _5_. Stepping into the corridor you could head two ways, left was the Conta Wing and right was the Ozera wing.

We knew we wouldn't be disrupted in the Ozera wing under any circumstances. Tasha was the only one staying in the wing. Christian had moved out last year and now lived in a townhouse with Lissa, the wing was deserted.

Once we reached the door, Alex didn't bother knocking. He simply took the master key that Baba had god-knows-how acquired and slipped it into the lock. It silently opened, we hoped that Tasha would be sleeping so we could get the job done as quickly and painlessly as possible, but what we found was significantly more interesting.

She was packing. We slipped into the room without making a sound and watched for a second as she furiously shoved her clothes and other personal items into a black suitcase on the kitchen table. It looked at though she was taking Dimitri's advice and warning. Sadly, it didn't change anything to my brother. He was done watching and cleared his throat to gain her attention.

Tasha spun around to face us and I felt like I could see the life drain out of her just by staring at us. She knew her time as up.

I sighed and let the door close behind me as Alex stepped further into the room. He was all brute strength my younger brother and he lunged merciless for Tasha, picking her up by her shoulders and throwing her against the wall opposite us. She clipped the table and clothes that had been waiting to be packed toppled over and all over the floor. I sighed and removed my coat, throwing it on the couch. I could hear her moan from the impact and could make out his footsteps moving further away from me and closer to her on the floor.

I had already informed Alex of Tasha's use of fire magic as well as her ability to use it offensively. I also told him about her that she was trained to defend herself in combat; however, I knew that she wouldn't be a match for Alex. But he wouldn't take the chance at her possibly hurting him. So, I let him do his bidding, fighting the urge to throw up with how disgusted I was in myself. We were too far in now. Or were we?

His gun cocking brought my attention back to the room. This was it; this was the last chance I had to make something right instead of watching it go horribly wrong. I could stop this.

We didn't have to go through with this. We could walk out of here and leave Tasha alive.

When I looked at Tasha huddled on the floor underneath the barrel of Alex's gun I couldn't help but see Dimitri. I couldn't help but see his face when I'd told him I'd have to kill his friend; the way his face had contorted with emotion had killed something inside of me, and then again when I had left him in my bed to complete the job I had been given.

Her blood didn't need to be on my hands, I already had enough of that. I could let her do whatever her plan entailed and then watch as she was sentenced and executed by the monarchy for high treason. I didn't need to be the executioner this time.

" _Brother stop_ " I whispered in our native tongue.

This could be a turning point for me. In the month that I had known Dimitri he had taught me so much about myself and the mistakes I had made that I now saw I could be a better person and that I already was a good person despite my crimes.

Dimitri believed in me. He saw good in me that I had never seen before, I should be able to materialize that goodness he sees by sparing Tasha's life, no matter the consequences of my father or Tatiana.

" _We are leaving_ ," I continued in Turkish.

" _Rose, we have a job to finish_ " he hissed back, his Turkish was thick and demanding rather then my soft version and it scared me slightly. He seemed to be refusing to look away from Tasha and gripped the hilt of the gun tighter until his knuckles became white, his facial features showing true frustration with my words.

" _No, we don't. This is a job we won't be completing_ "

Alex finally turned to face me; his brown eyes were dark with the desire he had to pull that trigger. It would be an understatement to call my younger brother trigger-happy. His gun was still pointed at Tasha on the floor and she looked between us panicked at the unfamiliar language being spoken around her.

" _We never leave a job unfinished_ " he said through gritted teeth, his jaw was so tight that it looks as though his teeth would shatter under the pressure.

I walked towards him, so I was standing beside him. I placed my palm on the barrel of the gun and forced it downwards until it faced the floor, surprisingly he let me.

Tasha looked surprised at the move I had made, and she tried to regain some sort of dignity by straightening up her back and sitting higher in her position. Her black hair was messy from being thrown around by Alex and her shirt was slightly ripped on the shoulder.

I shouldn't have let this get so out of control. I should have dealt with it humanely instead of following Tatiana's orders so blindly. She may be the Queen and done marvellous things to help my family but that didn't mean that she was being ethical. She had been pre-empting a scenario that hadn't even played out fully yet and we were going to execute on those ground.

No.

Not again. I will not allow myself to be used as an executioner for hire any more. Jerome and his superiors had done it since our deal was made and used me to their bidding, so had Tatiana, but I would no longer be someone's puppet.

Switching back to English I addressed Tasha, "Go Tasha"

Her blue eyes widened with shock at my statement, "Wh-what?" she stumbled

"You heard me. Go, run. Leave before someone else finishes what we started" I said softly.

I wanted her to run far away so that she could continue living her life. She had committed a crime, but it wasn't worthy of death. I knew that even if Dimitri thought I didn't. I had no reason to kill or even hate the woman sitting before me. She deserved a second chance. Everyone deserved a second chance.

She leapt to her feet, but something wasn't right. She didn't look frightened anymore, she looked smug. Her lips curled into a cruel smile and her blue eyes danced with hatred.

I stood frozen and everything around me seemed to play out in slow motion.

Her palms turned outwards at her side as the spots of flames started to appear. Alex also saw the glowing coming from her palms and reacted instantly. His hand holding his gun shot back up so that it was line back up with her chest, but he also moved towards me. What was he doing?

That's when I realised the balls of fire were directed to me. I'd just spared Tasha's life and she was going to repay me by taking mine.

Tasha suddenly disappeared from my field of vision and her figure was masked from my sight by Alex's large one. I couldn't see anything past him, but I soon felt the force of his heavy body collapsing into mine.

No.

Please no.

Alex's body fell onto me and sent both of us crashing to the ground. He was hot; his body too warm to touch. She hadn't-

But she had. I scrambled to move out from underneath my brother and saw what she had done. His shirt was alight with orange flames and I could smell his skin burning.

"Stop it!" I cried to Tasha who was beginning to loom over the top of us. But she didn't, the flames only increased, moving towards his neck and face.

As the flames licked the surface of his neck, Alex's face contorted with pain and I saw him struggle to release any sound of pain.

I had gone to Jerome with the intention of giving up my life to save his once before and I was going to do it again without a second thought. I was willing to become any kind of creature of Hell in order for Alex to be spared and forgotten by his captors. I wasn't going to lose any more family. We had lost mom, Pavel, and Sofia. But no more.

Before tonight Tasha had only pissed me off by trying to poach Dimitri from me and even her cruel words at Lissa's engagement but I'm a big girl and I've heard words worse than that being directed at me. They didn't faze me as much as she thought they did. I wanted to let Tasha go but I couldn't anymore.

It was either her or Alex that was dying tonight and I sure as hell wasn't going to watch my younger brother burn to death, not after everything I had done in order to keep him alive.

Without thinking, I reached and grabbed the handgun from Alex's hands and faced it towards her.

"Last chance Tasha!" I screamed, "Drop the flames!"

But she didn't relent, her smirk only became all out grin, it was almost like I expected a maniacal laugh to erupt from her as well. I grimaced when I felt the metal of the gun heat up under my palm; she was trying to make me drop it. But I didn't care if the gun got too hot to hold, I didn't care if it burnt my skin to a point of permanent scarring. It would only be another badge of bravery to me. There wasn't a chance in the world that I was going to drop this gun.

So I pulled the trigger.

The shot was almost silent in the room because of the silencer but the tiny sound of the bullet leaving the gun echoed and bounced off the walls in the apartment. I didn't like using guns, but sometimes you are left with no choice. Tasha was dead before the echo even had a chance to reach my own ears.

The hilt of the gun cooled down as well as the flames disappearing from my brother's body. Tasha slumped to the floor, the shot hitting her in her chest. She wasn't going to get up from that.

I felt frozen again. The whole altercation hasn't stretched for longer than a couple of minutes, but it had felt like hours. I'd shot her. I killed Tasha after I told myself I wouldn't do it. I felt the same coldness that I had felt when I took my first life all those years ago, I felt like I had betrayed Dimitri and now myself. But she was killing Alex.

Alex!

I crawled over to my brother's singed body; his pain-filled groans the only indication that he was still alive.

I gasped as the sight of his body. His shirt had been completely burned through and his skin was black with burnt skin and blood was pooling in the crevices the burns had made. It didn't get better though; the burns continued up to both of his shoulders and collarbones and then halfway up his right side of his neck. I ripped away whatever remaining clothing was on his chest so that it wouldn't become stuck in his wounds. My hand became red with his blood and I cupped his cheeks, tears springing to my eyes as I saw tears escape his own.

" _You're going to be okay little brother_ " I cried in Turkish, " _You're going to be fine_ "

I reached for my coat that I had discarded on the couch and dug through the pockets until I found my phone and redialled my most recent contact.

It rang only once before he picked up.

"Roza?" He asked with worry.

"Dimitri" I cried, "He's hurt! Please, I need your help" my sobs were beginning to butcher my speech and it was getting harder to speak clearly.

"Who's hurt _milaya_? Where are you?"

"Tasha's room. Please hurry"

The line went dead, and I threw my phone beside me and crawled back to Alex, his breathing was becoming more ragged and hoarse as he fought to stay alive. He was slipping and if he slipped I was going to as well. He was my rock, I needed him, and I couldn't lose him.

" _Just hang on_ ," I sobbed, my tears mixing with the blood on his chest as I tried to keep him somewhat stable.

Not even two minutes had passed before Dimitri broke through the door. I looked up at him to find his normally tanned face looking extremely pale. He was looking at Tasha's body behind me.

I'd momentarily forgotten about Tasha lying dead not even a couple of meters from me. It must have been an ugly sight.

Vasili then barged through the doorway and looked around the room at eye level before letting his eyes fall to Alex and I on the floor.

"Fuck!" He yelled, which seemed to pull Dimitri attention from Tasha's body.

Vasili crouched down beside me and stroked back Alex's sweat drenched hair that had stuck to his face.

"We need a healer!" He screamed as Alex began coughing. Small splatters of blood following and hitting my arm.

"Fuck this" he muttered as he leant over Alex and picked him up. Alex cried out in pain and I involuntarily screamed as well. He was hurting him, and I needed to save him.

I had learnt to contain my rage over the years. I had learnt to use instead of fear the fire that burned within me to my advantage rather than let it make me its slave. But I had never felt as much rage as I was feeling now looking at Vasili.

My vision blurred and red spots appeared in my vision as I let the feeling surface. Vasili was hurting my brother…his best friend. He needed to let go!

I made a jump for Vasili, but somebody stopped me. Strong arms clamped down my sides and picked me up off the floor, pulling me away from the boys. I thrashed wildly with my legs and screamed in anger, trying to kick my captor or even Vasili if I could reach him.

"Let me go! He's hurting him!" I screamed while I thrashed.

"He's not Roza" Dimitri's voice whispered in my ear as I watched Vasili tear out of the room with Alex cradled in his arms.

"He is-he's-" I couldn't finish my sentence though; my sobs were getting too intense.

"He isn't," he whispered again, and just like that my rage dissipated so fast I was like I had thrown a bucket of cold water on the fire in me. My body went cold and al warmth from me seeped away. I slumped in Dimitri's grip and he relaxed his hold on me so that he was cradling instead of restraining me.

I turned to face him and shoved my face into his shirt, I gripped the white fabric and cried into it until it was wet with my tears and stained with the blood that was on my hands.

"I can't lose him Dimitri," I managed to choke out as I continued crying into his chest.

He wrapped one arm around my waist and crouched down to get his other one under my knees. Picking me up and holding me close to his body, I let my arms wrap around his neck and placed my head in the crook of his neck.

" _You won't_ ," he whispered to me in Russian.

His voice already made me heave with his accent when he spoke in English but hearing him speaking in his natural tongue created a sense of comfort. It was different when he spoke it earlier; it was thick with lust and passion where this time it was loving. My grip on him tightened and I let my tears fall freely, even as my sobs became quieter.

I felt him begin to leave the room and the harsh voice of Baba, "Take her too her room Belikov. I'll finish here".

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _I hope this chapter from Rose's POV helps you understand what is going through Rose's mind during this story._

 _I've quite enjoyed writing from Rose's POV so I may include a few chapters here and there from her POV later in the story._

 _Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

 _-RCap_


	15. A Guilty Conscience

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hi Readers,_

 _Sorry but this chapter is a bit of a filler chapter. I hate writing them but sometimes they are necessary._

 _-RCap_

* * *

I always found guilt to be a complex emotion. I would describe it as having your ribs bound tightly so that you can't take much more than a few tiny breaths. You aren't suffocating; you are only on the verge of it.

It's like someone is placing continuous blows on you but there isn't anyone there, so you have no one to blame for the pain but yourself.

I watched as Rose morphed herself into the fetal position on top of her sheets, I couldn't help but feel this was all because of me. This was all because I wanted Tasha to come out of this alive.

I sat on the couch with my head in my hands as I felt the waves of guilt flow through me.

I still didn't know if Alexei was even alive right now. Vasili had torn out of the room with Alexei and no one had come to inform Rose and I how he was.

How had this all gone so horribly wrong?

* * *

"I need to wash this blood off me," she whispered eventually.

I lifted my head from my hands to watch her slowly get up from the bed before heading towards the bathroom, I heard the lock click behind her and I returned my head back into my hands.

I just couldn't piece together where this had all turned ugly. If I hadn't of gotten involved, none of this would have happened.

When we had first arrived at Court and Rose and I had argued outside of the bar, she had said they do what they must, so they can stay alive. I guess I didn't know what that really meant until tonight. It was just words coming from an angry woman that night, but that had a whole different meaning tonight.

There was a soft knock at the door and I reluctantly got up to open it. I cracked open the door slightly to see who was behind it, finding Abe dressed in a red suit that he hadn't been wearing twenty minutes ago.

"Can I come in, boy?" he asked, his face hard and straight. I could only assume that meant bad news.

I braced myself for it as I opened the door, he strolled in and sat down on the couch, leaning up against the armrest. He screwed up his face and rubbed the space in between his brows before sighing.

I couldn't handle the silence, I stayed by the door holding my breath, waiting for him to tell me that Alexei hadn't made it, that I would now have his death on my own hands.

"Is he-" I choked out, before Abe interrupted me.

"He's going to be okay. Scarred…but okay"

I let out the breath I was holding and took the spot next to him on the couch, waiting for him to continue.

Scarred? I hadn't seen the extent of the damage he had received from Tasha's magic, I had only seen where he had been burnt. I knew from the amount of blood that had been on Rose's hands as well as now on my shirt meant it was bad, but I just couldn't see the _full_ extent.

"Vasilisa healed what she could. She isn't fantastic at healing as she's still new to controlling her Spirit, but she did her best. She couldn't do anything about the scarring but at least he will be alive"

"This is all my fault," I mumbled while rubbing my eyes, trying to get rid of the image of Alexei lying on the carpet out of my mind.

"I'm not too sure about that Belikov, but we'll deal with that later" I didn't miss the threatening tone in his voice as he spoke, nor did I miss the look he gave me, so I simply nodded.

"Will you tell her when she gets out?" he asked, looking at the bathroom door where the sound of running water was coming from.

"Of course" I said strongly. He stroked his chin a couple of times before getting up off the couch and leaving the suite.

It had been thirty minutes and the water was still running.

Growing up living with five women I found out quickly that they liked taking long showers and using up all the hot water. I didn't see a difference in Rose, but half-an-hour was excessive, even for my sisters. I knocked on the door a couple of times to see if she was okay.

"Roza?" I called out but I got no response. I tried the door before remembering that she had locked it. A sickening thought entered my mind and drove me into action.

"Roza!" I called out again but louder this time, upon hearing no response I panicked and threw my body into the door as I tried the handle again. The door was strong and didn't budge under my weight, frustrated, I tried again but with more strength. The lock buckled, and I almost fell into the bathroom.

After composing myself I looked around the room and was relieved when I found Rose sitting at the base of the shower, the steady flow of water running over her. I took in the condensation in the room and the steam.

There was too much steam.

I ran the few steps to the shower and flung the glass door open, the heat hitting me instantly and seeping into my skin and hair. I turned the water dial so that it turned off and stopped the boiling hot water rushing out.

"He's dead because of me," she whispered from the floor.

Her naked skin was red and raw from sitting underneath the boiling hot water and the lifeless look in her eyes showed how broken she was.

"No Roza, oh my god" I gasped as I reached down to pick her up.

Touching her was like touching the side of a hot kettle, I flinched upon the feeling until my urge to get her to safety drove me forward. I scooped her up and sat her down on the lid of the toilet. Her skin was blotchy with redness and I could see actual steam radiating off her skin. This was bad.

I inspected her skin, checking for blisters or anything that would tell me how bad the burns were. When I found no blisters, I found it safe to assume that she had only first degree burns and nothing more serious.

I leaned back on my heels and stood up, reaching for one of the towels hanging up and then ran it under cold water, soaking the entire towel. Once it was properly drenched, I squeezed out some of the water and draped it over Rose's shoulders. She hissed as the cold water met her sore skin and I cringed a tiny bit myself, almost like I was feeling the pain she was in as well.

I did the same with a smaller hand towel and began cooling the skin on her arms and legs. When I reached her hands, I saw they were more burnt that the rest of her skin, " _Milaya_ , how did this happen?"

The normally soft skin was seriously inflamed and slightly torn. The tearing looked like the skin had been blistered. Surely this hadn't of happened from the hot water, there was no way it could have.

"The gun" was all she said.

I had to figure it out myself, but I would focus on that later. For now though I cleaned her palms and covered the broken skin with bandages from the room's first aid kit. I couldn't let this get infected, Dhampir or not, it was still better to be careful.

I left Rose sitting and covered by the wet towel as I returned to the main area and tried to find something for her to wear. I didn't want anything to would stick to the sensitive skin, nor anything that was too heavy. I dug through her suitcase until I found what I was looking for.

The short black nightgown was made of silk and was perfect for what Rose needed on her skin. It wouldn't stick, and it wasn't too tight. In a different situation I would have loved to see her in this, but I had to push all thoughts of what I wanted to see Rose dressed in and focus on making sure she was okay.

I still had to tell her that Alexei was alive.

I patted her rapidly cooling skin dry and then helped her put on the nightgown. I led her back into the loungeroom and sat her down on the couch. Her skin was already beginning to return to it's natural colour, it was still very red, but I could see it disappearing in spots.

I took a deep breath and kneeled in front of her. She stared at me with her big brown eyes and I was immediately lost for words. What I had to say was technically good news, apart from the fact that her brother was now scarred for life. How do I tell someone that?

How do you tell someone that their younger sibling is never going to fully recover from a traumatic event? That his scars will be a constant reminder of what happened to him? Rose knew all about that feeling, her body was riddled with different scars and every time she would look at one, I knew that it would bring her back to what caused it. Alexei's scars would now do the same for the both of them.

"Your father come by while you were in the shower" I finally got out, starting slow. I saw her breathing stop and her shoulders stiffened, "Alexei is going to be okay Roza".

She released her breath and collapsed back into the couch, she chuckled humorlessly under her breath and I noticed a couple of tears escape from her eyes, "There's no way he's come out of it perfect though…" she shifted her head to look at me, worry spreading across her delicate features, "Is there?"

I couldn't lie to her, I couldn't say that he would be the man that he originally was. I couldn't tell her that he would be back to his normal self tomorrow and it killed me that I couldn't tell her that, it killed me that it wasn't the truth.

"The Princess was able to heal him partially, she couldn't do anything about the…scars" I spoke softly and allowed Rose to take in the information.

Her relieved face morphed into something much more concerning, there was a mix of anger and disgust in her eyes. I knew that the scars themselves didn't disgust her, more so by what they would represent. Hesitation.

I could see her mind turning over and her all kinds of thoughts forming in her head. I could see it clearly through her eyes. She didn't know what to say and neither did I.

We stayed silent for a long time and it began to gnaw at my insides. It began to seep into my skin like some kind of poison, slowly paralyzing me from either speech or movement. I raked my eyes over Rose's beautiful features, taking in her perfectly manicured brows and her long lashes, getting lost the deepness held in her eyes and finally rested on her lips. The lips that were able to command an army or caress a lover.

"Dimitri, I need you to leave," she said softly, so softly that if I hadn't of been watching her lips, I would have missed it entirely.

Was I hurt? Yes of course I was but so was she. She had almost lost her brother tonight and it was because of me. I attempted to keep my face as straight as possible, concealing my feelings but I knew that my eyes were betraying me. I knew they were telling Rose exactly how I was feeling, alerting her of every emotion that passed through me.

I didn't protest though. I didn't argue with her. I did what she asked me and I left her suite.

* * *

Three days.

It had been three days since I saw Rose. Three days since she asked me to leave her suite. I was going fucking crazy not seeing her. She had become such a big part of my life in the short time that I had known her and I missed her so fucking much.

I didn't know how much longer I could handle walking past her door and not knocking on it. I didn't know how much longer I could go without seeing her smile, or touching the soft skin of her hands. I had seen Vasili yesterday and he assured me that Alexei was almost up to full strength. Once he was capable, we would all be leaving Court and heading back to Istanbul.

I had also seen Abe and he had informed me that Tasha had 'moved away'. Apparently, the story would check out because she had bought a plane ticket to Greece already and had been packing when Rose and Alexei had arrived at her suite. The evidence of her packing was there last night, I had seen the clothes on the floor by her body and the open suitcase on the table. Abe had taken care of it all, it was all planned too well if you ask me, like it was normal to have to do stuff like this.

It got to a point where I couldn't handle it anymore. I stood in front of her door, taking several deep breaths before gaining the courage to finally knock. There was no answer though; I couldn't hear any activity behind the door, indicating that she wasn't in there. With the small list of places at Court that she felt comfortable at, my next guess was where I had seen her the clear majority of times.

I found her at the bar. This place was her solace. I hadn't take notice originally when I first met Rose as to the amount of alcohol that she drank, but as I got to know her I realized why.

The guilt that ran through her blood taunted her and the only way she found any form of silence was when she had alcohol coursing through her body.

In the dim light of the bar I could see how tormented she was. She was looking down at the amber liquid in the glass before shooting it back, signaling for an immediate refill by the bartender. I wondered how many she had had before I had found her, judging by the uncertainty in the bartender's eyes it must have been quite a few.

This was probably the most casual I had ever seen Rose dressed. Her hair was down in long waves and she wore dark blue jeans and a long sleeve black top. I couldn't miss the distant look in her eyes though.

I took up the seat next to her and looked ahead, she stiffened at my presence and downed another drink. Placing the glass back on the bar with a soft _thud_ she looked expectantly at the bartender again. He sighed before pouring another.

"Make it a double" she muttered. He topped off the drink and turned to look at me.

"Vodka thanks" he nodded and pulled out a fresh glass. Once he had walked away I nursed my glass, not ready to take a sip yet.

We were quiet for several seconds, neither of us saying anything or even consuming our drinks. I dared a look at her and noticed something that I hadn't before.

"Why aren't your hands bandaged still?" I asked quietly, they didn't even look burnt anymore…

"Adrian healed the burns," she murmured before taking a large gulp of her drink.

"Oh" was the only response I could manage.

I tried to conceal the possessive tone in my voice at the mention of Adrian healing her. While I was glad that he did that for her even after everything that had happened between them, it didn't mean I was content with him touching her.

The tension between us was thick and both of us refused to look at the other directly. She got one more refill before swallowing it in one gulp; she stood up and dug into her back pocket of her jeans and threw a hundred-dollar bill on the bar.

"Thanks Peter" she smiled sadly to the bartender, he nodded in response and swiped the money off the wood.

As she went to walk past me I reached out and grabbed hold of her forearm, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. She still didn't look at me though; she only looked down at my hand.

"Roza, please" I pleaded softly, begging for her to look at me even if it was just for a second.

She wasn't hearing it though. She tugged her arm free and began moving for the door. I had to go after her. I wasn't letting her go again.

I grabbed the first bill in my pocket and chucked it at the counter, not caring what the amount of it was. She was already out of the bar in the dull sunlight when I caught up to her. Her long hair getting whipped around by the cold breeze that had picked up.

"Roza!" I called out after her, but she didn't stop so I made a run for her and stopped in front of her, blocking her from walking away from me again.

She attempted to get around me, but I blocked every move she made to get away. Eventually, I placed both of my hands on each side of her arms, grounding her to the spot in front of me.

I should have seen the intent in her eyes as soon as I had grounded her. She wasn't going to stay grounded. She broke both her arms out of my grasp and I took the direct hit to my jaw without even trying to block it or dodge it.

It took a couple of seconds for the pain to register. She had hit me fucking hard, she hadn't been playing around. The pain shot up across my jaw and lingered, I knew I'd have a nasty bruise tomorrow if there wasn't one already forming.

While I was distracted she made her escape. She disappeared into the wind and left me cupping my face and staring after her.

* * *

She was lashing out and taking her rage out on me, I was able to admit that I deserved most of it. The bruise I had acquired on my jaw confirmed it.

I got the idea out of nowhere and yet it made perfect sense.

If she wanted to hurt me physically, I'd let her. I would allow myself to be the 'human' punching bag to an extent to let her rage out on. She needed a release and who better then the person she believed was causing the buildup.

I knocked on her door and waited for her to get out of bed. It was the middle of the Moroi night and I knew I'd be waking her up. Unfortunately, it was a necessity. If I was going to let Rose unleash the full extent of her strength on me, I couldn't have a full gym to watch us like we were a spectator sport.

The door opened, and Rose stood before me in her sleepwear. I couldn't let myself be distracted by the tight singlet nor her lacy shorts. I was on a mission right now. Once I had looked her up and down and had rested back on her face I noticed how angry she was.

Her brows were furrowed, and her lips were set in a hard line. The fire that had been in her eyes at the bar was back and she gripped the wood of the door tightly.

"What do you want" she said strongly, her voice unwavering. The strength surprised me, only a minute ago she would have been fast asleep and now she was awake enough to take on a Strigoi if needed.

"Get changed into something…comfortable" I returned, humor lacing my words slightly.

I knew she was mad at me, but I could also see the glint of curiosity that appeared on her face. She wanted to slam that door in my face so badly, but I could see her curiosity winning in her internal battle.

"I'll wait out here" I smiled as she glared at me. She closed the door softly and leaned up against the wall beside her door waiting for her to remerge.

Once she had, I lead her across Court towards one of the more secluded gyms. This specific gym was perfect for what I needed. It was just a hall the size of a small café and didn't have any weighting equipment around.

I walked over to the far wall and began pulling down the mats that were stored there, placing them on the ground as Rose stood there impatiently with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What are we doing here Comrade?" she sighed angrily.

"We are dealing with the anger you have directed at me," she opened her mouth to comment but I stopped her, "I know you blame me Roza"

She looked down and kicked the mat at her feet. I could see that she didn't want to admit it, even if I knew it was true.

"I blame myself as well" I continued, "If I hadn't of gotten under your skin about Tasha this wouldn't have happened"

She didn't look up so I pressed on, "You've been lashing out at me so I want to give you the opportunity to relieve some of that rage"

This got her full attention, her head shot up and her brown eyes narrowed at me, "and how exactly do you think you will 'relieve' me of said rage?" she asked.

I looked at the mats now arranged on the floor and smiled softly to myself, "We are going to spar".

"You're joking right?" she asked, her face blank.

"Nope, not joking" I took off my duster and placed it on one of the bench seats before making my way to the center of the mats. Rose didn't move though, she stood at the edge with her arms still crossed.

Maybe I was going to have her coax her into doing this.

"I'll let you win the first round" I smirked, hoping that it would get a reaction out of her.

She immediately straightened out and scowled at me.

It was working; she was beginning to get riled up. She took one last look at the door before joining me on the mat. She still had her arms crossed, as she looked me up and down. I did the same and took in the tight black shorts and the jumper she was wearing.

The jumper needed to go if we were going to spar properly. Almost like she was reading my mind, her crossed arms dipped to the hem of the jumper and she began pulling it over her head. While removing the jumper, she took a small step towards me.

I was momentarily stunned. I knew exactly what lay underneath those clothes, but I couldn't help but marvel at her body every time it was exposed to me. Once the jumper was nearly completely off I was able to take in the plain black sports bra that she had decided to wear. My eyes raked over her stomach and breasts, lingering on them like it was the first time I was seeing them.

She had me right where she wanted to though. I wouldn't have been surprised if it was her plan from the second I suggested sparring. The jumper flicked out and wrapped around my neck. She grabbed the other edge and used it to pull me close to her.

"I don't need freebies to kick your ass Comrade".

And with that, her leg snaked behind my calves and I came crashing down onto the mats below me. I hit them hard, so hard that I gasped a little as all my breath left my lungs. If she was going to fight dirty, so be it. I can be just as dirty.

I jumped back up and threw her jumper away from me. Rose was already positioned a safe distance away from me and crouched defensively, I shadowed her stance and we circled each other for a few seconds.

I didn't know how she fought. I didn't know how the academy in Istanbul taught their Novices or what she would have learned independently. She had yet to see me fight, but I had a feeling that we would be very closely matched.

I noticed her eyes flick to my chest momentarily and I took it as my opportunity. I lunged for her, pushing all my weight to take her down but once again, it was like she was one step ahead of me. She relaxed her entire body and my weight had us both going down, but she used it against me. She used my momentum to flip me over her body so that I landed on my back and she was crouched still.

She was using her speed and size against me. She had been taught well, I'd give her that.

I growled in frustration and she returned it with a deadly smile. I pushed myself off the ground and faced her as she ran towards me, trying to catch me by surprise. However, I was quickly leaning to expect anything from her and I sidestepped her, much to her dismay.

She swung at me with her first, coming very close to the spot she had already bruised yesterday, I dodged it and caught her arm mid strike and pulled her close to me, close so that she couldn't strike.

I chucked as her face flashed with anger and she tried to pry her arm out of my grasp. I had it too tight though and she kicked out, making connection to my knee, and caused me to double over. She took her advantage and pushed me to the ground so that she was straddling me.

"Dead" she whispered in my ear. I looked at my chest and saw her fists up against my heart.

She had indeed beaten me.

The fight was tame, I knew that she would get increasingly more aggressive as we continued, and I wanted her to. I needed her to release that anger that was building up in her. She got up off me and returned to her defensive position.

"Come on comrade, make me work for it this time"

I took that as the go ahead. No holding back this time. I think my newfound forwardness took her by surprise, because my fist made connection with her stomach before she had time to react.

She recovered quickly and we began trading blows to each other, some making the connection we wanted them to and others not. It was like we were dancing, somehow we were in tune with each other and in no time we had learnt the other's fighting style and could start predicting their movements.

Using speed that I didn't even know I possessed, I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me so that her back was flush against my chest. She knew what this position meant, if she didn't get out of it and I was a Strigoi, I could bite or ever break her neck.

It was almost like she was waiting for it though, because once I came closer to her neck her elbow collided with my cheek. It threw me to the side and we both crashed to the ground, each of us fighting for the dominant position.

I finally got the upper hand and pinned her underneath me, capturing both her hands above her head, lingering inches from her mouth. I brought my lips to her neck and placed a delicate kiss there before whispering to her.

"Dead".

In the quietness of the gym, all that could be heard was both of us breathing raggedly. I felt her chest heave beneath me and I lingered at her neck.

Testing her limits, I placed another kiss on her neck but slightly higher that the previous one. I could feel her heartbeat quicken and she relaxed slightly into my grip. I continued up her neck until I hit the sweet spot just below her ear that she seemed to make her come undone. When my lips made contact with the spot she moaned quietly.

"I'm…still…mad…at…you" she whispered slowly.

"I don't doubt it _Roza,_ " I whispered back, lifting my lips from her neck and I leant back so we were face to face.

The fire had gone from her eyes and she looked at me with the love she had before everything had gone wrong.

"I'm willing to let you try change my mind though," she purred back.

I hadn't expected this response do my plan, but I was willing to go with it.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _I was planning on cutting the chapter before their sparring session but I felt that I owed you guys a longer chapter seeing as I made you guys wait a week for it!_

 _I'm also using this AN to let all my readers know that I have posted the first chapter for my new story!_

 _'Miss Mazur' is still my main priority and I will continue to update this story once a week. Therefore, until I have finished 'Miss Mazur' my new story will be updated as often as I can without interrupting the flow of 'Miss Mazur'._

 _Check it out if you like the sounds of the summary below:_

 ** _Convince Me –_**

 _'Convince Me' is set in Chicago during 1925 and the time of Prohibition. The story alternates from Rose's POV to Dimitri's._

 _Rose Hathaway is a talented burlesque dancer for a club named 'The Royal Court' that her father owns. Abe Mazur's business took a severe hit on January 17, 1920 when the manufacture, sale and transportation of intoxicating liquors was made illegal._

 _However, when Abe is approached by the Russian Bratva to use his club to smuggle in and distribute illegal liquors, he couldn't pass up the offer to help keep his club and family afloat._

 _Five years into Prohibition, Dimitri Belikov is moved from Russia to the streets of Chicago to oversee operations at the Bratva's most profitable venue. During his first visit to meet Abe Mazur, he becomes infatuated with his daughter and lead dancer, Rose._


	16. Lie To Me - RPOV

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hi Readers,_

 _Finished the chapter early!_

 _Welcome to another Rose POV! I felt like there was a few unanswered questions/feelings that could only be addressed by seeing things through Rose's eyes so I've written this chapter in Rose's POV._

 _I started this week with severe writers block so I'm sorry if this chapter doesn't live up to any of the others._

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _**Some themes in this chapter relate to alcohol abuse/addiction.**_

 _\- RCap_

* * *

Why did I fucking do that?

Why did I fucking send him away?

I needed him and I sent him away.

I needed him.

Seeing the door close behind him made my blood boil in anger, anger that wasn't directed at Dimitri, but at myself. I looked around and picked up the first thing I could reach, a grabbed a crystal vase that was filled with lilies from the coffee table and promptly threw it at the wall next me.

The crystal shattered into countless pieces and ricochet back at me, some pieces scratching at my already fragile skin and others embedding themselves completely down my left arm and exposed leg. The pain was nothing new to me, I'd experienced much worse in the past. I vaguely heard a scream that came from deep within me, not because I was hurt but due to my frustration.

I watched as my blood trickled from my wounds and mixed with the water pooling at my feet. I was breaking everything around me. I picked the shards out of my skin and discarded them on the floor, ignoring the sting that came with their absence.

I abandoned the broken crystal and headed straight for my kitchenette, flinging open the small fridge and reaching for the first bottle that was in there. My hand froze before I had a chance to touch the poison though.

Was I really going to find the answers to my rage at the bottom of a bottle? I hadn't ever before, and I didn't think I would start now.

I slammed the door shut and spun around so I faced my bed again. I began to chew nervously on my thumbnail and leant against the bench for support. I had a lot to fix and not a lot of time before we left Court. I knew that once Alex would be fit to fly, Baba would want us out of here, I'd estimate a few days at most.

I couldn't go see Alex yet, I just couldn't bear to see what I had done to him, what my actions had caused.

 _Adrian._

The name popped into my head and almost wiped me off my feet. I hadn't thought about how I had hurt Adrian, especially once Dimitri had come into my life.

"Fucking hell," I muttered under my breath.

I pushed myself away from my leaning position and went for my suitcase. I knew that I wouldn't be able to wear my usual attire so I settled for a black maxi dress that reached my ankles. It wasn't tight meaning it wouldn't irritate my skin, which was a relief.

I slipped it on and headed for Royal Housing, a place I really didn't want to be after what had happened there mere hours earlier.

* * *

"Little Dhampir?"

Adrian opened the door with a puzzled look on his face. I was certainly the last person he would have expected to be at his door, especially at this time.

I must have woken him up as he was dressed only in his Calvin Klein boxers. Even I had to admit that he was handsome. Those green eyes that twinkled in an almost hypnotic way and his charm that unfortunately, was extremely captivating.

It wasn't just his looks that were alluring though, but his kind heart that he kept hidden from most; and I had broken that kind heart _time and time again_.

"Adrian…" I started, but I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to form a sentence that was fitting.

"Do you want to come in?" he asked in a soft voice as his gaze danced around me. He must have been looking at my aura. I could only imagine how fucked up it looked.

I nodded, sliding past him and through the door. His room was surprisingly tidy, I was used to it being borderline trashed with clothes and more often than not, bottles. I walked to the couch and sat down while he wandered behind me and began rummaging through his drawers.

I sat almost awkwardly; I didn't want to act as if I owned the place, because at this point I wasn't even feeling comfortable here.

"Rose…" Adrian said slowly from behind me, his tone thick with worry. I didn't want to turn around but my body moved at it's own accord. When I met his eyes, he eyes weren't focused on my attention, but my arm.

I looked down and noticed the now dried blood that was covering the cuts on my skin. The deep red colour mixing with my already blotchy skin, and now with my blushing cheeks. I'd forgotten all about my injuries in the haste I had been in getting over here.

Adrian walked over the sat beside me on the couch, his fingers tracing over the skin on my arm. It suddenly occurred to me what he was about to do.

"No Adrian don't…" I breathed but it was too late.

The cuts along with the burns healed before my eyes, leaving only the dried blood as evidence that they had once been there. I also felt the ever-present sting in my palms disappear. I carefully removed the bandages that Dimitri had placed there and found my skin completely healed.

I looked up from my hands and into his deep green eyes, "You shouldn't have done that Adrian. Don't go insane by healing me"

"I was already insane before I met you Little Dhampir" he chuckled and I couldn't help but laugh softly with him.

As I gazed into his eyes and I could see the love he had for me swimming in them. It broke my heart that I couldn't be what he needed. I wasn't the one for him. I had to look away from those green orbs, so I averted my gaze to my hands in my lap.

"I love you Adrian..." I whispered, "Just not in the way you want me to"

I felt tears brim in my eyes and he placed one of his hands over my freshly healed ones and with the other, he lifted my chin up so I looked him in the eyes.

"I know that Little Dhamphir," he smiled softly before continuing, "I guess you could say I've come to terms with the fact that you and Belikov are better suited, more so than we ever could have been"

I laughed softly and the tears that had been brimming began freely running down my cheeks, "I don't know about that Adrian. I think I may have fucked everything up"

I had told Dimitri to leave, I had actually told him to leave. Even after he had looked after me when I was distraught over Alex and then tended to my self inflicted water burns.

"What are you talking about Rose?" he asked, worry filling his green eyes.

"I lo-ve him Adrian" I was starting to choke on my words, "and I told him to leave".

I buried my head in my hands and began to cry. I didn't cry often, I kept my feelings tightly bottled up and inaccessible. It was the only way I was able to deal with everything I had done in my life.

I felt Adrian's arms wrap around my shoulders and I leant into his chest as I cried.

I wasn't sure how long I cried for only that I cried for Alex and his now permanent scars.

I cried for Adrian and all the hurt I had ever caused him.

And I cried for Dimitri. I cried because I pushed him away when I needed him the most, because I projected how angry I was with _myself_ onto him.

Adrian pulled away and moved to the space on the floor in front of me, kneeling down and resting his elbows on my knees he held my hands in his own.

I was confused by the action until I noticed him looking at the space immediately around me; he was looking at my aura. I wish I had of known what it told him, what kind of message it conveyed to him because at this point I didn't even know how I felt.

"Rose," he began taking a deep breath, "When I first met you, your aura had a lot of darkness in it and over the course of our… _relationship_ …the darkness didn't leave" he hung his head a little before he continued, "It killed me that I couldn't be the one to get rid of that darkness and from the second you stepped off that plane when you first got back here, you were different. Some of the darkness had gone and was replaced with gold flecks"

"Adrian-" I mumbled, trying to interrupt. I knew I had caused him pain, but knowing the extent of what I had done would break me even further.

"Just let me finish Little Dhampir" his words were stern but still soft as he spoke. I nodded in defeat and let him continue.

"I knew someone had started breaking down those fucking walls you had put up, even if you didn't know it at the time. Then when I saw Guardian Belikov walk down the steps behind you, I thought it was all a big joke. He had the same darkness around him, but it was also flecked with gold. Your auras looked close to fucking identical Rose, and each time I saw either of you, whether you guys were separate or together, your auras were getting brighter and brighter. I knew what was coming to me and eventually it did. I tried to pretend that you didn't end things because of him, but I knew deep down it was"

I had ended things between Adrian and I because of my feelings for Dimitri. I just couldn't drag Adrian though that anymore, it wasn't fair on him. I knew I had broken his heart, even if he wasn't going to say it now.

"Dimitri loves you Rose, and you love him. I've never seen auras light up as yours do when you guys are together. Its insane" he chuckled, "almost as insane as me"

I joined in with his laugh and wiped a stray tear from my cheek. He had made good points.

"Go home Little Dhampir and sleep" he brushed a hand over my cheek and smooth my hair back behind my ear, "and forgive not only Dimitri but yourself."

When I returned to my suite, the shattered vase stared at me from its position on the floor. I knew I had to clean it up eventually. Sighing dramatically, I grabbed a plastic bag and began placing the broken pieces as well as the dying lilies inside it until they were all collected. I dragged a cloth over the water and blood, removing all evidence of my outburst. I threw out the bag and collapsed onto my bed, passing out within seconds.

* * *

I woke up feeling like shit.

All I wanted to do was to cuddle up in bed with Dimitri and have him play with my hair, but that was out of the question at this point. I was being unreasonable, I knew that but I couldn't bring myself to look in his eyes and forgive _myself_. I had a lot of regrets in my life, but bringing Dimitri into all this was my biggest one.

I slowly got dressed and trudged to my kitchenette, making myself the strongest coffee I could. I didn't like coffee on the best of days, but today I fucking needed it.

Without further procrastination, I made the short journey down the hall to Alex's room. Vasili opened the door and immediately pulled me into a tight hug, rambling incoherently in Greek. I had no clue what he was talking about, but I smiled up at him and kissed his cheek before moving further into the suite and towards Alex's bed.

He was sitting on its edge, his back facing us. He didn't have a shirt on, easily showing that his entire upper body, shoulder and neck was wrapped in pristine white bandages. I felt my knees giving out beneath me and the ground was coming hard and fast, but Vasili wrapped his arms around my waist and caught me before I could fall. I let out a choked sob and Alex spun his head around, a smile plastered on that fucking face of his.

" _Why are you smiling?"_ I cried loudly in Turkish to him, my tears free-falling.

" _I'm fine"_ he replied in Turkish with a smile, standing up from the bed and making his way towards me.

He pulled me into a tight hug, one that I instantly felt bad about due to his injuries but he didn't seem to feel the same. He took over from Vasili, holding me up as my knees continued to feel like they were seconds away from giving out.

He was truly okay.

That didn't differ from the fact that he was scarred because of me.

We sat down in their lounge room and I just couldn't stop myself from staring at Alex. He laughed and joked with Vasili while he drank his coffee, I was glad that he was still his happy self but it didn't differ from the trauma he had been through.

"Do you recon ladies love a battle scar?" Alex laughed, his voice had not a single hint of fear, it was pure joy. That kid never saw the downsides of things, never. He saw everything in a positive light, it was a stark difference to me. I had a habit of seeing things more darkly, thinking that everyone had an ulterior motive to their actions.

The boys laughter was broken when Baba entered the room, a bright smile on his face.

" _Ahh children_ " he announced in Turkish cheerfully. I'd always loved that he had welcomed Vasili into the family with open arms.

I had met Vasili in our final year at the academy. He had transferred from Greece to "experience new cultures". The guy didn't even know Turkish when he had first migrated. I'd felt bad for him seeing him struggle in class so I offered to tutor him, teach him basic Turkish so he could at least understand what our teachers were saying.

One date was all it took for us to realise that we were both better suited as friends. We just got on too well and when he dropped me back home Alexei had been waiting. That was the start of something bigger than we ever would have been. Those boys are brothers now and I'd be lying if I said I didn't see Vasili as another brother.

He was family.

"We will be leaving once Alex is cleared by the doctors, three days at the most."

The news that we would be leaving did nothing but excite me. I was happy to be finally leaving Court and returning home. Baba joined in on our conversation, laughing and smiling with his 'sons'. It was a perfect picture...almost.

I placed my hand in my pocket, tracing the edges of the photo I carried with me everywhere. It had been taken before a wedding, a few short years before the strongest person in my life had died. There were days I felt like I had forgotten what she looked like, but the picture was always there to job my memory. I smiled as my fingers touch the worn picture, she would have been happy to see that we were still a united front, even after everything.

It was later when Baba and I were alone in the hall that I began worrying. I could once against feel the sting in my eyes from tears wanting to break free. Why was I crying so much today?

Baba immediately noticed and took me into his arms, pulling me in a tight hug that I wouldn't have been able to escape even if I wanted to.

"Lie to me Baba" I sniffled into his chest.

"I don't love you?" he said uncertainly and I chuckled softly,

"Not that kind of lie," my short smile dissipated and became serious as I looked up at him, "lie to me and tell me it's all going to be okay" my voice was quiet and small, much unlike me.

"That's not a lie though _kiz_ " he smiled back down, fangs and all, before pulling me back into a tight hug, "it's not a lie."

* * *

It had been a few days since I told Dimitri to leave and now I didn't even know why I had said it. I didn't want him to leave; maybe I'm mad because he actually did left instead of refusing?

I heard the doors open behind me but I couldn't hear any footsteps. I knew in my gut that it was Dimitri and when I looked up to the slightly obscured mirror behind the bar in front of me, I knew he had found me finally.

I tossed back my fourth drink, placing the glass back on the bench just as Dimitri took up the empty seat next to me. I didn't dare look at him, I couldn't see what my behaviour had done to him these past few days so I made eye contact with Peter again, he sighed before giving in and pouring my drink.

"Make it a double."

There was no way I was going to get through a conversation with Dimitri at the moment while sober so maybe I had to catch up on my drinking.

I peeked beside me and saw he was nursing his own glass now. I quickly went back to looking beyond the bar. Watching the light catch all the glass bottles, making them glisten against the mirrored wall behind them. I could see him staring into his glass like it held all the answers to our problems. I had learnt a long time ago that the bottom of my glasses held no answers, but that hadn't stopped me from testing the theory repeatedly.

"Why aren't your hands bandaged still?" he asked quietly.

"Adrian healed the burns," I mumbled, bringing my glass to my lips and taking a large mouthful.

"Oh" was all he said. I winced internally; I could only imagine the kind of thoughts that would have bombarded him because of that answer.

If he asked about Adrian, I didn't know if I wanted to tell him what he had said about Dimitri and I. I didn't know if I could handle him knowing that he was slowly mending me.

I got one more refill and quickly downed it before throwing a bill on the table. I needed to get out of here now.

"Thanks Peter" I shot a small smile towards him and headed for the door but not before he stopped me.

"Roza, please".

That voice. That fucking voice and every sweet pleasure it brought me. _No Rose_.

I tugged my arm free and pretty much ran for the exit, I needed to go. I couldn't do this right now.

When I opened the doors, the cold air went straight through my body and into my bones, the wind picking up my hair and using it as its puppet. I walked briskly away, ignoring the voice calling out my name until he was in front of me and unavoidable.

I tried to dodge him, I really did. But when his hands clamped down on me and stopped me I didn't even hear him out. My reflexes kicked in, breaking my arms free and I swung at him. I didn't even realise what I was doing until it had happened. My breathing caught in my throat the second my hand made connection with his jaw.

 _What the fuck is wrong with me!_

So I ran. I ran back to my suite with tears streaming down my cheeks and a painful throbbing pain in my hand.

I cried a lot that night, I cried until I could cry no more.

* * *

A quick knock at my door woke me up in a fright.

The knock was soft but quick and I had a feeling that Dimitri was behind it. I knew I should answer it; I _had_ punched him. I dragged myself out of bed and sluggishly walked towards the door. What fucking time was it?

I could only imagine the look on my face when I opened the door, I was pissed that he was waking me up. My angry front almost cracked though when I saw him standing there. A sizable bruise had formed on his jaw that was black and purple; I didn't realize I had hit him _that_ hard.

But it looked like he had just come from the gym. His black tracksuit pants hanging dangerously slow on his hips and the tight fitting grey shirt outlined his amazing physique, I could have moaned just at the sight of him honestly.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to throw as much danger into my voice as possible, I wasn't sure if I had succeeded though.

"Get changed into something…comfortable" he smiled and his gaze raked over my current attire. Comfortable? What the hell was he going on about, it was the middle of the night for fucks sake!

My curiosity won though and I could see by the glint in his eyes, he knew it.

"I'll wait out here"

I sneered and closed the door softly. I began changing into my training gear, it was the most comfortable stuff that I could find and plus I had a feeling as to where we were going, I just wasn't sure why. I peeked out of the window and it looked a bit cold, so I pulled on my black sweater over my sports bra just in case.

I followed him silently as we walked to one of the more secluded parts of Court, occasionally stealing glances up at him. He looked like a man on a mission, but the sly smile that was on his lips was telling me that he was up to something.

When the dingy gym came into focus I had to suppress a groan. I was way too tired for this shit honestly. The gym was old and unmaintained. The only equipment being a few training dummies on the far wall and some blue mats. Dimitri immediately began pulling mats down from the wall and arranging them in a large square, securing them together so that they wouldn't shift around.

"What are we doing here Comrade?" I sighed, getting impatient.

"We are dealing with your anger you have directed at me"

What? I didn't have any anger focused at him. It was more that every time I looked at him I saw that our relationship was hurting those around me because I was more focused on him. Alex's injuries for example.

I opened my mouth to tell him exactly that but he cut me off, "I know you blame me Roza"

I looked down and kicked the mat with my feet. _No I don't_ , I thought to myself.

When I didn't say anything he kept going, "I blame myself as well. If I hadn't of gotten under your skin about Tasha this wouldn't have happened". Unfortunately he was right there, if I had of just got the job done we wouldn't be in this position.

"You've been lashing out at me so I want to give you the opportunity to relive some of that rage"

My head shot up at his claim but all I was focused on him mentioning my rage, "And how exactly do you thing you will 'relieve' me of that rage"

He gestured to the mats he was standing on, "We are going to spar."

I had to suppress a laugh, "You're joking right?"

"Nope, not joking" he smirked as he took of that damn duster of his. He placed it on one of the benches and moved back to the center of the mats. He definitely wasn't joking.

I refused to step on the mat; I knew we would be similarly matched but I wasn't sure if I was willing to test my assumption out, so I stayed by the edge with my arms crossed.

"I'll let you win the first round" he smirked.

All right you Russian bastard, lets fucking do this.

I took one last look at the door to throw him, make him think I was still uncertain. It was working. I looked him up and down and watched his eyes do the exact same to me, I wasn't sure if he was sizing me up or checking me out, I figured it to be the latter when I saw the heat in his eyes.

I was glad that I brought this jumper; I was able to use it to my advantage. I began pulling it over my head slowly, almost painfully slow so that my bare skin would distract him. This was too easy!

While holding one sleeve of the jumper, I flicked it out so that it wrapped around the back of his neck, the other sleeve quickly coming back to me. I grabbed it and used all my strength to pull him close to him. In his distracted state, it was more than simple to accomplish.

"I don't need freebies to kick your ass Comrade".

I quickly took him down so that he slammed against the mat, and judging by his bulging eyes and loss of breath, my plan had worked perfectly.

He quickly joined me on his feet and we both crouched low as we circled each other, gauging how the other would strike and who would strike first. My eyes flicked to his chest for half a second when his muscles flexed, although I may have looked distracted I had still been focused on his stance and was able to notice him lunging for me. But I was smaller and faster so I used his entire weight to throw him over me, sending him crashing to the mats once again.

I could hear the growl of frustration come from him and I knew I was getting to him. I had been yet to throw an actual punch yet; I was purely using him against himself. But if I wanted to prove myself as a solid fighter, I would have to make the first move.

I ran at him, hoping to catch him off guard but he must have seen it coming because he dodged me effortlessly and even caught my forearm when I threw a punch directed at his face. I could feel my anger brimming and the fact that he had me in a tight hold. I went for his knees, quickly throwing us both to the ground while he registered the pain.

I lined my fists up against his heart and whispered in triumph, "Dead."

But where I had expected to see anger in his eyes at his defeat, there was nothing but awe expressed. I quickly got off him, ready to go again. I wanted a more challenging fight this time.

"Come on comrade, make me work for it," I purred, trying to make my voice as silky as possible.

It worked. He came for me and we immediately began trading blows, each of us gaining an upper hand for only a second before the other surpassed us. As we fought, we began learning and then predicting each other's moves. I could tell Dimitri had figured this out as well. He would need to think of something new to catch me off guard.

And Boy did he. He spun me somehow and had me pressed tightly against his chest, his head dangerously close to my neck. If this were a real fight with a Strigoi, I'd be extremely close to death. As he came closer to my neck, I struck out with my elbow, making contact with his cheekbone, but the tight hold he had on me didn't falter, so we both came crashing towards the ground.

I grappled against him, trying to get out of his hold but also trying to get the upper hand. But when he secured my hands above my head, I knew he had won this one.

"Dead" he whispered, pressing his lips softly against the side of my neck.

I could feel my heart hammering in my chest, both because of the fight and our close proximity. He began trailing his lips up my neck and I relaxed in his hold, even going as far as letting an uncontrolled moan escape my lips when he kissed the spot under my ear.

"I'm…still…mad…at…you," I breathed. I was mad because he had beaten me, but I wasn't so sure I had relayed that properly.

He pulled away from my neck, the loss of connection making me whimper, "I don't doubt it Roza," he whispered.

When I looked into his warm eyes I realised I had to let go of all the unhealthy emotions and memories I carried with me. For too many years I had punished myself, feeling that if I forgave myself it would mock all those lives that had been ruined because of me. I had a man in front of me who loved me for how I was and not what I could have been. He loved me unconditionally.

I thought about what Adrian had said to me the other day. He had said that our auras lit up around each other. Darkness can't be chased away by more darkness; I had to let him into my life for us to rebuild each other.

"I'm willing to let you try change my mind though."


	17. Choices

**_Author's Note:_**

 _Hi Readers,_

 _It's with sadness that I inform you all that **this is the final chapter of Miss Mazur**. I've had so much fun writing this story and your continued support is what made it all possible._

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _As a goodbye gift I have included a lemon right off the bat._

* * *

Her lips were like heavy rain during a drought.

I had gone three days without water and now I was finally able to quench my addiction.

Running my hands over her exposed skin was like heaven, I missed her so much and every touch we shared in this moment was intoxicating.

She wrapped her bare legs around my hips and used them to pull me closer to her, I couldn't stop my moan of appreciation until it was too late. It vibrated through my chest and I heard it echo throughout the gym.

The gym. We were still in the gym.

I pulled my lips away from hers and sat back, much to her dismay. She groaned and let her head hit the mat below her and muttered something in Turkish.

I wanted to be with her, I really did, but it felt wrong to share such intimacy in an old gym.

"I should have known," she muttered under her breath as she got to her feet.

I watched from the floor as she headed towards the exit and a wave of regret pushed through me. I hadn't wanted to stop touching her. I needed to make things up to her, and I would do anything. Anything.

I sprang up from the mat and pretty much leaped for her, slamming her body against the brick wall and pinning her there as I stared intently down at her. Amusement flashed through her eyes as she took in my sudden aggression.

That amusement quickly darkened into lust as I watched her eyes travel over my body and then linger on my lips, she captured her bottom lip between her teeth and it only roused me on further. I bent down so that our lips were only millimetres away from each other.

I softened the grip my hands had on her arms and trailed them until they met with her own, intertwining our fingers and pushing her further into the wall. She nudged her left leg so that it rested in-between my legs and attempted to press herself closer to me

"Take what's yours Comrade," she whispered against my lips, the sensation of them caressing my own sent shocks through my body and that was the only encouragement I needed.

I gave in and pressed my entire body into her, effectively pushing us both into the brick and let my lips crash to hers in a fiery heat. She accepted my lips greedily and opened her mouth to me, allowing both of us to explore each other easily.

I could feel my arousal grow increasingly as the seconds went by and in my desperation for her. I released her hands and tugged down her shorts, letting them fall to the ground so she was able to easily step out of them. She returned the favour by pulling at the waistband of my tracksuits and shimmying them down until they rested at my mid-thigh.

My lips left her mouth and trailed down her jaw until they rested on her neck. I sucked and nipped at the skin, which only increased her moans. I knew we were both in the same place and with one goal in mind.

I dipped my hands further, so they rested by the backs of her thighs and hoisted her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around me. She wrapped them tightly around my waist and knotted her fingers in my hair.

Resting her with her back against the wall, I let my fingers slip between her legs, moving her panties out of the way before probing at the heat and wetness. I chuckled against her neck as she bucked against my fingers, causing them to slip into her momentarily. I resisted, pulling them out and gently massaging the small bud until she cried out.

"Please" she moaned softly, the begging being my undoing.

I shifted my boxers so that I was fully exposed and lined myself up with her. I leant out so that we were staring at each other, our foreheads pressed together, and I slowly pushed myself into her.

I had to pace myself, but the moan that was emitting from her mouth as I filled her was making that extremely difficult.

Once we had both somewhat settled, I pulled out before slamming back into her, both of us crying out in the sheer pleasure the action brought. She wrapped her arms tighter around my neck and I buried my face into the crook of her neck.

I continued at a steady pace, only quickening to hear the sweet moans she would make until I felt the familiar fluttering in her. I didn't let up, using my left arm to hold her to me; I braced both of us against the wall with my right one and made my movements more forceful and rigorous.

It was all she needed to come undone, I watched as her lips parted slightly and her entire body shivered with her orgasm. It was as simple as watching her for my own climax to hit.

I pressed our foreheads together again as we both attempted to catch our breath, the heavy breathing filling the space of the gym. I'd just had sex in one of Courts gyms. What was this woman doing to me? I was doing things that I would have never done previously, and I didn't feel one bit bad about it, I loved ever second of it.

Rose took my cheeks in her palms and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. "That was a good start", she whispered against my lips, letting them brush together softly.

I chuckled against her lips before kissing her one last time and pulling out of her. We both retreated to the small changing room to clean ourselves up and then packed up the mats.

Once we headed for the exit, the doors opened revealing a small group of relatively young Guardians. They must have been about to use the gym.

I looked to Rose panicked but she only winked at me as she walked past the group. I dropped my head and hurried after her, silently relived that the youths didn't arrive five minutes earlier.

* * *

It was back at her suite that it got quiet again though. Almost like once the door closed behind her, she closed as well. I still just couldn't get the hang of her, she still surprised me every day, Abe had been right in warning me that first night.

She took a seat on her couch and looked up at me expectantly. I had a few questions for her myself. What had she been doing these past three days, I know she had gone to see Adrian at some point, and I was praying she was going to put me out of my misery and tell me she went as his friend. I hadn't seen Alexei and I was curious as to how he was doing as well. I also wanted to know how upset she was with me I guess.

With what had happened in the gym, I'd assumed we were on good terms again, but I didn't want to start jumping to conclusions or anything. I needed to hear those words come from her, not make them up in my mind.

She headed straight for the couch, pulling her legs up underneath her as she sat. She stared at the wall next to her, looking it up and down like it had been changed while she was gone.

"Are you going to tell me what you've been up to lately? I asked, looking down at my feet.

I didn't look up until I heard her sigh softly a few seconds later. This was it.

"What do you want to know Comrade?"

I watched her features, trying to find any hints of guilt or sadness, but there were none. She looked calm as she studied me, her lack of fear in answering my questions filled me with confidence.

"You said you went and saw Adrian…" I trailed off, waiting for her reply.

She nodded before standing up, closing the distance between us. "I had a moment after you left. I don't know why I told you to leave, but once you had…I was so mad at myself for sending you away. All I wanted was for you to stay with me and yet I told you to go away"

So, she hadn't meant those words that night. She was just hurting and wasn't thinking, she never wanted me to leave her alone.

"I actually made a bit of a mess in here. I threw a vase at the wall and it cut up my leg and arm pretty good" I gaped and reached for her arm trying to find the injury, her arm was fine though, "Adrian healed me."

"Is that why you went to see him? To heal you?" my voice was low and cautious, I didn't want her to think I thought she was using Adrian for his spirit, but I just wasn't sure really.

"No, I could deal with the pain; it was my own fault after all. I was going to get drunk honestly. Try to forget everything that had happened last night, but I just couldn't do it. I knew that it wouldn't help me, and it made me think of Adrian. It made me think of how badly I had hurt him and treated him. I was going over there to apologize but when I got over there I just didn't know what to say to him…"

She looked down at her feet as she trailed off and I stepped closer to her, wrapping my arms around her waist, pulling her to me in a hug. She hadn't been mad at me, she was mad at herself. What had happened to Alexei had pushed her over the very fine edge she had created in her mind. I pressed my lips to the top of her hair as she pressed herself closer into the hug.

"He noticed my burns and the cuts on my skin from the vase. He healed them before I had a chance to stop him"

"That was kind of him," I murmured into her hair.

"I didn't deserve it though Dimitri, after everything I had done to him I shouldn't have let him use his spirit on me"

"If he chose to do it though Roza, you can't really stop him"

She sighed deeply into my chest but stiffened after a few seconds. These thoughts that she didn't deserve things would dancing through her mind constantly and it would be a while before she would finally be at ease. This wasn't going to be an easy task, but I was willing to work at it for her. I'd do anything to stay by her side.

"We are leaving tomorrow. If you want…I can talk to Tatiana about getting you reassigned"

I jerked her back and looked down at her in shock. Reassigned? What was she talking about? Did she want me to go after all this?

"What are you talking about Roza? Do you not want me to be your Guardian?" I couldn't stop the hurt I was feeling coming through in my words.

"No, of course I still want you as my Guardian Dimitri, but I don't want what happened to Sofia to happen to you. The people that get close to me don't seem to last very long before they either die or get hurt" she pulled herself free from my grasp and took a few steps away before turning from me.

This was happening right now, she was telling me not to pick her even though she still wanted me in her life.

"Roza I don't want to go anywhere" I practically yelled at her.

"I thought you wouldn't want to have anything to do with me anymore. That I had scared you off or something" she turned from me as she spoke, I could hear the pain it caused her to say those words, but it hurt me even more to hear them.

"Roza, I would never leave you"

"You can though Dimitri, I-I wouldn't hold it against you. This life I'm involved in is pretty fucked up and-"

"Roza" I cut her off and she spun around to face me, "I promise you that I want nothing more than to be by your side!" I was starting to get frustrated. Why didn't she believe that I wasn't going anywhere?

"When are you finally going to see that I would follow you to the ends of the fucking earth!" I yelled at her, but it didn't faze her, her face was still straight and emotionless. It killed me that my words didn't ignite a response and that I couldn't get through to her.

"What could you possibly do that would make me believe that, Comrade?" her eyes were heavy with doubt, but I knew the way to pledge my undying loyalty to her and no one else.

I knew what I had to do prove that I wanted nothing more than to be in her life and be her protector.

"I'm going to resign from the Guardian Council."

* * *

I'd spent the day writing my resignation over and over again. I just couldn't get the words right. And when I had eventually finished, it was getting late and I was running out of time to hand it in. I stared at the letter in front of me, the black ink urging me to take the words back even though I knew I didn't want to. I'd written them for a reason and the only place this letter was going was to Guardian Head Quarters.

I read over the words again, making sure that everything was pristine and in order; I didn't want to hand it in with any mistakes on it. I couldn't help but trace the words with my forefinger, letting them imprint my memory like they had the paper. I picked up my pen and held it to the paper, taking a deep breath before letting signing my name at the bottom.

I dropped the pen and I folded the letter in my hands before placing it in the plain white envelope that I had already addressed to the Head Guardian, Hans Croft. I sealed the envelope and held the paper in my hands.

Handing this in would signify the end of my service to the Moroi and to the Monarchy, it didn't matter how nerve racking the actual action was because I knew the outcome was going to be worth it all.

I stood up from the chair I was sitting in and pulled on my duster, giving the letter one last look before shoving it in my pocket and heading towards Guardian Head Quarters. It was nearing the end of the Moroi day and the streets were beginning to die down. The serenity oddly helping with my nerves as I walked.

When I reached the large doors of HQ, I took a deep breath before opening them and walking inside. I walked past the quiet entrance and proceeded through the array of desks, heading up three floors and towards the door I knew Hans would be behind.

Knocking softly I waiting for him to allow me entry. My nerves spiked as I waited, and my hands began shaking beside me and my stomach knotted. Why was I so nervous about something I was so sure about?

"Come in" I heard Hans call out from behind the door. Summoning all the courage I had, I turned the doorknob and walked in.

The office was bare in my own opinion. The plain wooden desk was placed in the centre of the room and was decorated with nothing but the computer that Hans would complete his work on. It didn't look like a nice place to spend all day.

"Ah Guardian Belikov, so nice to see you again"

I nodded respectfully and approached his desk, "The same to you Guardian Croft"

"What can I do for you today?" he smiled, guesting for me to take a seat in one of the chair placed in front of his desk.

Once I was seated, I dipped my hand into my pocket and paused slightly, my fingers grazing the envelope delicately before being removing it and holding it towards him.

Hans' eyes dropped from my own to the envelope in my hand before tentatively reaching for it. His eyes ran over the writing on the front before slowly opening it. I watched as he read the letter, his Guardian mask never faltering. If he was concerned, he wasn't showing it. I could see his eyes going over the four sentences that were printed in front of him.

Once he had finished reading the letter, he set it down on top of the torn envelope on his desk and looked back up at me before speaking.

"I hope you know what this letter means, Guardian Belikov" he sighed, his hands wove together as he placed them overtop of the envelope.

"I do," I stated strongly.

"You are aware that by leaving the Guardian Council, you renounce any pension you may have accumulated as well as the ability to ever return to the council?"

I had already thought about all these factors when I made my decision, I was willing to throw it all away to be with Rose. I knew that nothing is gained without something else being relinquished. The greater the dream, the bigger the sacrifice but being by Rose's side was the only thing I wanted, so I was willing to sacrifice _anything_ for that.

"Yes, I'm aware Guardian Croft"

He just stared at me for a few moments, almost like he was assessing me to see if I _actually_ knew what I was doing or not. I felt like a child under his gaze, like I was about to be scolded for being naughty. I began holding my breath, waiting to the backlash of the letter; I waited for him to tell me I was abandoning my duty as a Dhampir and that he wouldn't sign such a resignation.

But he didn't. He simply picked up his pen and spun it in his fingers a couple of times before bringing it to the paper and signing his name underneath where I had signed my own.

"It was a pleasure to be your superior Dimitri"

I let out the breath I was holding and my entire stance relaxed. The signature meant my 'freedom' and I was no longer constricted in what I could and couldn't do. I answered to Abe now instead of the council.

It was like someone had taken shackles off my wrists that had been there since I graduated. My mind immediately filled with all the possible things that Rose and I could do away from the scrutiny of Court. It was a big world and it was now fully open to both of us.

I headed straight for Rose's room once I had left HQ. Crossing the grounds in record time and jumped nervously on the balls of my feet while the elevator ascended. As I walked towards her room, I found her in the hallway unlocking her door

I ran up to her before she had a chance to walk through the door and picked her up from behind, spinning her around a couple of times while she giggled loudly. Once I placed her back on the ground she spun around and wrapped her arms around my neck, my own arms wrapping securely around her waist.

"How did it go?" she smiled up at me, her eyes twinkling with delight.

"It went well, he signed the resignation and sent me on my way. I'm a little surprised that they didn't fight it though"

Rose stepped onto her toes and placed a kiss on my jaw, trailing them up until she couldn't reach any further before whispering, "Maybe they know that you will be in good hands".

Her voice was like velvet in my ear and I melted at her kisses, eagerly I bent down and pressed my lips to her own in a sweet kiss. Her hold around my neck tightened and she deepened the kiss immensely.

We tumbled into her room giggling and still kissing, "What time to we have to be at the tarmac?" I muttered in-between kisses.

"Sunset" was all she got out before we came crashing down to the bed.

Our kisses were hungry and urgent, like we didn't have enough time before we had to leave. I had to say that I was eager to leave Court but that didn't mean I wanted to rush my time now with Rose.

* * *

As we pulled up to the tarmac I could see that the rest of our entourage was already by the steps of the private plane. I hadn't seen much of Aaron and Alessia the past week so seeing them looked odd.

Once Abe made his way up the steps so did his Guardians and left Alexei and Vasili waiting on the tarmac for us.

I got out of the SUV, pulling out Rose's suitcase and throwing my duffle bag over my shoulder as we walked towards the boys. From where I was, I could see the white bandages that wrapped Alexei's body and neck, his shirt doing little to hide them. I wondered if he wasn't ashamed of them, if he didn't hate them.

If the smile he gave me was an indication of forgiveness, I think I received it. He walked straight over to Rose and I, crossing his arms over his chest while still smiling as looked between us.

"Everything resolved?" he asked, his brown eyes twinkling with delight.

I looked down at Rose beside me and took in her smile. She didn't look up at me, but she threaded her fingers in-between my own and leant into my arm. The gesture making me feel warm inside, she had forgiven herself even though I was yet to forgive _myself_.

Alexei disappeared into the plane while Vasili and Rose headed for the steps, leaving just myself on the tarmac. I turned to look at Court behind me, letting the feeling of relief fill me. I was leaving this all behind.

I knew that it wouldn't be my last visit to Court, after all I was still Rose's Guardian and I was aware that we would make trips to Court every now and then, but this was the last time that they would be able to dictate my life. I had an entire future ahead of me in Istanbul with Rose and I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Rose suddenly appeared beside me. She was quiet as she let her eyes glide over the building and mountains in our view. She eventually looked up at me and nudged my arm with her shoulder, "You okay?"

I looked down at her, taking in her smile and the way the hues or orange surrounded her. The sunset bouncing off her tan skin and brown hair, she was so beautiful in any light and in that moment, I knew that everything would be okay.

I moved her body so that it was placed in front of mine and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her close to me.

"What now Roza?" I whispered in her ear and as I let my smile take over my face.

Both of us looked to the hills in the distance where the sun was disappearing behind, letting it's warm glow cloak us. She leant into my chest and hugged my arms tighter around her.

"I don't know Comrade, but I think it's going to be good."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 _I wanted to thank every single one of you who not only read my story but reviewed/favourited/followed!_

 _You guys are what kept me going with my first ever FanFiction and I would have never completed it without you guys!_

 _I was sad to see this story end, but alas it had to eventually. I will be writing an Epilogue soon that will be set a year after the final chapter so keep an eye out for it. If there is anything in particular you want to see in the Epilogue let me know and I will try my hardest for it to become a reality, I'm planning on it being a 5-10k epilogue so I have plenty of room to include stuff you guys want to read._

 _I will be taking a short breather before kicking into full gear with 'Convince Me'. Until then, a few chapters have already been posted so for a 1920's Romitri fix, head on over to it!_

 _All my love,  
RCap_


	18. Epilogue

_I'm going to pretend that this didn't take me like six months to write and post. Nothing I wrote previously sounded right to me, and I've finally gotten it to a place where I'm happy with it. So hopefully it's up to par x_

* * *

 ** _Istanbul, Turkey_**

 ** _October 24 – One Year Later_**

Dimitri couldn't believe that he let Rose talk him into this again. Yet there he was, standing at the edge of the dance floor in downtown Istanbul, watching her dance the night away.

The club was full of electricity tonight as always; it's patrons feeding off of the fast dancing and hypnotic lights. They were there to hunt though, not have a good time.

Dimitri knew that he should have been looking out for any Strigoi that would be lurking in the shadows, but he couldn't take his eyes off Rose dancing. Her entire body was flowing with the uncontrolled beat that was vibrating through the walls and floors - _no one_ looked as good as she did.

Every sway of her hips left him breathless. Watching her entire body move was a salvation to him. Since Dimitri had left Court over a year ago, the relationship between Guardian and charge had blossomed into something he could have only dreamed of.

Tasha Ozera had once offered him the opportunity of being her Guardian and partner. It would have been a very similar situation to what he was in now. But Dimitri couldn't imagine opening his eyes in the morning to see his arms wrapped around pale skin rather than exotically tanned skin. He couldn't imagine looking into ice blue eyes instead of molten chocolate ones.

In many ways, Dimitri was thankful that he had never accepted Tasha's offer before meeting Rose. But then again, he had been so quickly reassigned to her, that there was almost no overlapping time for Tasha to make her move. Although, Dimitri already being assigned to Rose hadn't stopped her.

Reluctantly tearing his eyes from Rose, Dimitri did another visual sweep, looking towards the bar where Vasili and Alexei were blending in.

His natural reaction was to cringe upon seeing the raised milky scars peaking through Alex's shirt. Even though he had now fully healed from the horrific burns last year, he bore the residual scars over his chest and shoulders as well as the right side of his neck. He wore them proudly but – as a badge of honour.

Dimitri was relieved that Alex never blamed him like he still blamed himself. Seeing the scars in full view was like being punched in the face. They were so white compared to his tanned skin and they seemed to ripple as the flames had once done. Every time Dimitri stared too deeply at them, it was like he was flung right back into Tasha's apartment – looking down at the chaos below and feeling as though everything that had gone wrong had been his fault.

He would never forget seeing the acceptance in Alex's eyes that day. It was as haunting as the burns had been. His eyes had glazed over almost while staring at his older sister, accepting that he may not make it past this.

The past year had been a whirlwind.

Rose had relinquished almost all of her control in Abe's business over to Alex and Vasili – and they were _more_ than happy to pick up the slack. Alex had been waiting for the opportunity to show his face in the business, and with the events of last year proving to Abe that he could handle the _heat_ , everything was handed over smoothly.

Alex and Vasili had grabbed the job at its horns and rode it out fully. They did a marvellous job and it allowed Rose to slink into a more administrative role – something quieter. She liked that aspect.

It didn't take long for Dimitri to notice the change in Rose after relinquishing control over to her brother. She seemed more at peace with herself.

They could also focus on themselves more – neither of them wanted to give up their mornings spent in a peaceful solace now that they had them.

Dimitri's earpiece crackling loudly snapped him out of his inner monologue. He looked around quickly seeing Rose's face also scrunch up slightly, but she didn't stop dancing – she had to uphold her image.

"At the bar – guy with black hair and talking to the girl in the red dress."

Vasili's voice came through after the crackling subsided, and Dimitri knew without having to look that all four Dhampirs had turned to look exactly where Vasili had noted.

Sure enough, there was a towering man with thick black hair and deathly pale skin whispering something in the ear or the woman he had entrapped. A sickening feeling began to swirl in Dimitri's stomach as he watched her fall helplessly into his web.

"On it," Rose's voice came through, meaning she had also locked onto the Strigoi.

It didn't matter how many times Dimitri watched this happen, it always made him nervous. In the year since the debacle at Court, he came along on many hunting trips, mainly because he was still Rose's Guardian, but also because he found that he enjoyed the thrill of it.

In the time since Rose had passed her role onto her brother, the risk of her being attacked dropped _dramatically_. But her eagerness to take on this Strigoi by herself worried Dimitri. He didn't like the notion of her going off on her own with him.

"I don't like this, Roza," Dimitri growled into the earpiece, making her stop as she crossed the dance floor.

"Yeah? Well, _he_ isn't going to like it if he spots another Dhampir trailing after me like the Guardian he is," she snapped back while glaring at him over top of the crowd.

Dimitri glared back, still not sold on her doing this alone. It wasn't that he didn't think she was capable – she was extremely capable. It was that his life revolved around keeping her safe. If anything were to happen to her, it would crush him.

"Do you trust me?" her voice came through again, but softer this time.

Dimitri groaned. "You know I do."

"Then trust I have this under control. I'll keep in touch."

They were locked staring at each other over the dance floor. The flashing lights and the music was nothing but background fodder to them. All that mattered was holding each other's eyes.

Dimitri sighed, unable to challenge the trust they shared with one another. "You have two minutes outside before we join the fight."

"Only need one, comrade," she smiled wickedly before strolling towards the bar where the Strigoi had taken occupancy.

Dimitri watched as intently as he could from afar without drawing attention to himself. He saw the exact moment that the Strigoi realized there was a Dhampir approaching him, and discarded the human like she was garbage.

He took a disturbing interest in Rose instantly, one that only grew larger when she flicked her hair to one side and exposed the partially hidden scar from previous years.

She had never let another vampire touch her like that since she had committed herself to Dimitri.

Dimitri always gave her enough happiness and love that she didn't feel empty anymore. She no longer craved something to give her a kick. She might as well have been a closet addict a year ago, but now, she was much stronger with Dimitri by her side.

Nevertheless, the scar made it easier to trick Strigoi into thinking she was nothing but a feedbag. It wasn't ideal, but it worked and had been Rose's idea from the start – much to the dismay of all three men.

Three sets of eyes followed Rose as she coaxed the Strigoi away from the bar and towards the back exit. They had previously staked out the alleyway the door led to and found that it was wide enough to hold a fight without being constricting, and that there were enough exits for them if they needed to be able to flee.

When the door closed behind them, Dimitri began counting down the seconds.

A minute passed and there was no word.

Thirty more seconds and Dimitri started getting anxious. She said she only needed a minute. He began heading towards the door while mentally counting down the final thirty seconds.

Two minutes passed and still nothing.

"Rose? You there?" Dimitri relayed through the earpiece but received nothing back.

Something was wrong. Dimitri could feel it in his gut, and judging by the worried looks on Vasili and Alex's face – they knew it as well.

"Rose?" he tried but with no luck again.

Two minutes and forty-eight seconds had passed and there was no word from her.

Without leaving room to think, Dimitri began pushing through the gyrating crowd to get to the back entrance. He shoved _anyone_ who was in his way. He didn't even stop to apologize or look at whom he pushed; he was too focused on reaching the alleyway.

And what he found made him thankful he had listened to his gut. Rose looked as if she was in the possible fight of her life.

Her earpiece was discarded near the door, most likely being knocked out during the fight. Her heels had been kicked off near the door and her dress rode up to her hips – exposing her toned legs and even the red panties she wore. But now wasn't the time for Dimitri to be focused on what colour her panties were.

Rose needed help and urgently.

"Alleyway, now!" Dimitri yelled through the earpiece at Vasili and Alex. He didn't get a response, but he was adamant they had heard him and were on their way.

Dimitri jumped into the fight, not fully thinking his move through like he should have. He tackled the Strigoi from the side. The creature had been so focused on Rose that he hadn't even noticed Dimitri enter the alleyway, let alone see Dimitri charging towards him.

Remarkably, the strength that Dimitri put into the tackle was enough to bring them both crashing down to the hard cement.

It gave Rose that millimetre of an opportunity to get the upper hand again. Now, the Strigoi wasn't just up against a female Dhampir, he was up against a duo that was so in tune with each other, they didn't need speech to tell the other what to do.

But the Strigoi didn't know any of that, and he assessed the couple like any Strigoi would when opposed with two challengers: pick the greatest threat.

Naturally, he assumed Dimitri being bigger and male, was the biggest threat – and Rose and Dimitri were fine with that incredible understatement as it gave them their edge.

Grappling with Dimitri on the cement floor, the Strigoi managed to get Dimitri under him and trap him with his body weight. Dimitri struggled, aiming to increase the effort his opponent needed to defeat him, at least until Rose had the opportune moment.

It was a window that was open for only a second but shut as soon as more Dhampirs charged into the alleyway through the club's back door.

"Shit!" Vasili yelled, making the Strigoi look over his shoulder to see Rose advancing on him with her stake poised to kill.

She may have begun carrying out the killing blow, but the Strigoi had seen her early enough that he still had time to get out of the way.

The Strigoi jumped up from crushing Dimitri and flung himself at Rose with full power. He would just get rid of the girl; she was becoming a nuisance to him.

Latching onto her throat with his hand, the Strigoi pushed Rose back until she hit the brick building behind her. But just as she hit the wall, she slashed her arm out and managed to swipe the charmed silver across the demon's cheek.

The skin sizzled like acid had been thrown onto him, and he dropped Rose to cradle his face. He growled and hissed but he had been so distracted by the nuisance Dhampir woman that he had forgotten about her partner.

Without hesitation, Dimitri ran his stake through the Strigoi's back, piercing his heart from behind so that the bloodied point threaded straight through to the other side.

A feeling of deep satisfaction flowed through Dimitri as he felt the Strigoi go stiff and eventually stop moving completely. Normally he felt a swig of guilt whenever he made a kill, but not this time.

When he had seen just how in danger Rose had been before he had stepped in, it had ignited something in him – something that was still burning violently in his blood.

"You okay, Roza?" Dimitri grunted, pulling his stake free and letting the Strigoi drop to the ground.

But he didn't get a response back. Just silence.

"Roza?" he asked again, but in the broken light of the alleyway, he could tell she wasn't at eye level with him.

That was when he spotted her slumped against the brick wall with no indication she was simply having a rest from the demanding fight.

Her eyes were closed, and he couldn't see her chest moving. That wasn't a good sign.

"Rose? Rose!" Dimitri yelled down at Rose's slack body as he dropped to her level.

He held her against his knee, propping up her head and trying to get something out of her. But she wasn't responding. What Dimitri hadn't noticed, was the small bloodstain remaining on the brick wall from where Rose had been slumped.

She had been out for only a few seconds, surely that wasn't long enough to have any lasting consequences! But when Dimitri's hand that was supporting the back of her head went to feel her pulse, warm sticky blood followed and coated his palm.

"Not good," Dimitri growled at his bloodied hand while still trying to find a pulse, subsequently smearing blood over the column of Rose's throat.

That was when he felt it. The soft pulsating under his finger tips. Her pulse was there! It was slow and faint, but it was there!

"We have to get her to a hospital!" Alex yelled out to Dimitri while dragging the Strigoi's large body behind a dumpster. He would call Sydney when they were on the road and let her know there was a body to be destroyed.

"A human hospital? She's a Dhampir! Abe will crucify us!" Vasili argued.

"We don't have a choice, get the car!" Dimitri yelled back, fishing out the keys from his pocket and throwing them towards the Greek Dhampir.

With both of the boys busy, Dimitri returned to trying to get Rose to open her eyes. He shook her while chanting her name, but nothing was working.

"Come on, Roza. You can't do this too me," Dimitri breathed with tears brimming in his eyes.

As if it were a scene from a movie, Rose's eyelids fluttered open for half a second and then lazily closed again. Her eyes were rolling back into her head and she released a guttural groan, but what was important was that she had opened her eyes.

She could hear Dimitri calling her name and feel the vibrations from the club through the brick wall. She also felt extremely dizzy and nauseous. Her mouth felt like it was coated in sand and she could have sworn there was something slimy flowing down her throat.

"Dimitri," she managed to whisper hoarsely. It was so faint, that it was only Dimitri that had heard her, but it was all he needed to hear.

She was going to be okay. But he needed to get her to a hospital – she was still bleeding from a head wound. It didn't matter how good her Dhampir immune system was, it wasn't going to protect her from bleeding out and getting brain damage.

* * *

The electronic doors leading into the ER opened dramatically as Dimitri swept through with Rose in his arms bridal style. Blood was still staining his hands, and his dress shirt was currently pressed up against the back of her head, trying to stop or slow the bleeding if that was possible.

"Oh fuck," a young nurse muttered when she spotted the three men storming through her waiting room. "Get a gurney!" she yelled out to the other nurses at the station while running up to meet the men.

She could see without a doubt that they were all scared for the woman cradled in the biggest guy's arms. Seeing the young woman limp and seemingly unresponsive, the nurse's own heart rate quickened as she began rattling off questions.

"What happened to her?" she quizzed, removing the shirt from the back of her head and inspecting the blood flow.

"We were downtown, she fell down the stairs at the club," one of the guys at the back chimed in, one who looked remarkably like the woman. ' _Possibly her brother?'_ The nurse thought to herself.

Suddenly more nurses and a Doctor appeared with a gurney for her. She was placed on it and in that split second, she opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Her pupils dilated and she looked around with a frightened contortion of her face.

"Dimitri," she shrieked while struggling to use the muscles in her neck to lift herself up.

"I'm here baby, I'm not going anywhere," the big guy responded, running to her side to come into her vision.

 _'Boyfriend'_ , the nurse thought while going through a mental checklist. She wanted to make sure that these men were safe to be around the patient before she started asking questions. If there was any chance of her not knowing these men, their answers could possibly put her in more danger.

"What's your name, honey?" the Doctors asked while using her penlight to test the dilation of her pupils.

"Rose," she mumbled as her eyes began to droop closed again and her entire body relaxed.

"She was like this the entire way here. In and out. Is she going to be okay?" her boyfriend asked the Doctor, worry etched into every feature he had.

"Depends. Has she got anything in her system?"

"Sorry?"

"Drugs. You kids been using?"

He looked offended. "No. She's clean. She fell down the stairs. She's completely sober as well."

Accepting his answer, the Doctor began pushing Rose through to a wing where she would be able to look over her more thoroughly. "Get her set up for a CT scan and an x-ray for this wrist," she pointed to the inflamed and bruised joint, "This girl has had quite the tumble."

Just before they disappeared into the medical ward, a nurse managed to stop all three men from following. "I'm sorry, but you can't go in there."

"She needs someone with her," her potential brother argued, looking like he was ready to push past her at any moment.

"We need you to stay out of the way so we can help her. Please just wait here." With that, the nurse disappeared down the long hall and left the three men watching as Rose was rolled away.

* * *

Ibrahim Mazur was breaking almost every single road law created while he drove to the hospital. As he sped through the main roads, he couldn't help but let his mind drift to a year ago when it was his other child that had been on the brink of death.

He couldn't believe how much remorse Dimitri Belikov had expressed over what happened to his son. He knew Dimitri blamed himself for trying to sway Rose into doing the right thing, but he didn't know Tasha would make an attempt on Alexei's life. How could he have?

Once they had all returned to Istanbul, Abe had sat Dimitri down in his office to discuss not only his employment in the Mazur guard but also the relationship he had with his daughter.

It was no secret that Abe was protective over _both_ of his children – he had kept one hidden for the majority of his youth. But he cared about their safety and wellbeing, and Dimitri needed to prove that he had the best of intentions before he accepted or allowed a relationship to blossom further.

Abe had offered Dimitri a contract with no expiry date. It included a hefty pay rise and allocated days off. Dimitri didn't see the reasoning for the days off, however. Every second he spent working as Rose's Guardian didn't feel like work to him – it felt normal.

But after hearing the frantic and downright scary voicemail Dimitri had left for him, Abe was ready to cut him loose from the Mazur Guard entirely. He wasn't doing his job properly. He wasn't protecting his daughter.

"Where is she?" he growled upon spotting the inconspicuous Russian sitting in the waiting room. Aaron was hot on his heels and remained passive while scoping out the change of destination.

Dimitri stood upon hearing his employer and met him halfway. A lot had happened since he left the voicemail on Abe's phone an hour or so ago. And if Abe gave him a chance to explain, he would be able to see his daughter sooner rather than later.

"They are settling her into recovery. Vasili and Alex are with her now," Dimitri stated in a calming voice, waiting for his Moroi boss to regain control over his emotions.

"What happened?" Abe eventually asked through clenched teeth.

"We were hunting and she had a close call. We brought her to the hospital cause there was nowhere else we could take her. She has a broken wrist and she split the back of her head open – but they can't believe how fast she is healing."

Abe inhaled deeply, feeling a sense of extreme relief come over him. He didn't want any more close calls. This was the last straw. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop his daughter from going hunting, but maybe the Russian could talk some sense into her.

"We need to get her out of here before they start taking blood samples," Abe muttered while looking around corners to see the status of the nurses.

"I agree, but they aren't too ecstatic about discharging a patient who came in two hours ago with a bleeding head wound," Dimitri said, waiting for Zmey to think up one of his illustrious plans.

And sure enough, Abe scoffed. "Leave that to me."

Dimitri and Aaron immediately fell into a dual guarding formation, flanking Abe as they moved towards the recovery ward of the public hospital.

It didn't take long at all for Abe to be approached by the Doctor that had stabilized Rose. At first, Abe could see she was shocked to see that man she had a secret dealing with on her floor. He rarely ever came to do a pick up himself, and if he did, he never got out of the car he arrived in.

But as her gaze ran over his Guardians, he could see her recognition of Dimitri. He had been here all night with Rose, so of course, she would recognise him.

"Rose is your daughter isn't she?" the Doctor asked with a soft sigh, placing her clipboard on the nurse's station.

"She is in fact – and I'm here to take her home," Abe said bluntly, hoping the tone in his voice was enough to convey he wanted a no-nonsense discussion.

"I've already told her _entourage_ that I can't discharge her after a fall like that. It's not just unethical, but dangerous to her health," she hissed back under her breath.

"Yes, Dimitri here advised me of that. But unfortunately, I'm not in the mood for _negotiating_ the release of my daughter."

"Don't you even care about her health?" she growled, finding Abe's ignorance infuriating.

"Actually Doctor, my daughter's health will always be my utmost priority. Which is why I plan to have her in the comfort of her own bed with my _own_ approved Doctors taking care of her."

Abe could see that his words had been a slap in the face to the Doctor. But he wasn't here to give out compliments and boost anyone's ego. He was here to get his genetically abnormal daughter out of a human hospital. He had access to the finest Moroi Doctors that Istanbul had to offer – Doctors who wouldn't see problems with her blood work and investigate further.

The Doctor shook her head, not convinced that this was the right thing for a young woman with head trauma. No matter who Abe Mazur was or what he could do, his daughter wasn't invincible or some supernatural being. She bled and bruised as any other human would.

Oh, if only she knew.

Abe was fed up with her persistent deflection and took a step towards her closing the sizeable distance between them. He leaned in close, looking deep into the big brown puppy dog eyes the Doctor possessed and spoke calmly and evenly – almost monotonously.

"My daughter is being discharged whether you like it or not. So, if I were you, I would sign her discharge papers and hand her over into the care of her father. Do _not_ make me ask you again Doctor Koray."

Anyone who had watched the interaction between Abe and the Doctor and knew about the secret vampiric world, could see that Abe's words had been laced with compulsion. While it was something he didn't like to use on the regular, there were some instances, like the current one, where it came in very handy.

Successfully compelled, Doctor Koray broke eye contact with Abe and reached for the pen in her breast pocket. She looked towards Dimitri and the other man that flanked Abe Mazur, noting that they both wore impossibly blank faces much like the men who collected the bi-monthly handovers of blood bags.

She never knew who they were, but they were always so stoic and professional. Mere hours ago, she had seen Dimitri express so many emotions that she had lost count, but now looking at him, it was if he had never smiled before in his life.

A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of who these men really were, and she really didn't want to be the one to make them break their expressions. They were extremely well-built men who she had no business going up against.

With an exasperated sigh, Doctor Koray signed her name at the bottom of the clipboard she had put to the side and flicked through some more sheets until she found the discharge form.

Once she had signed that one as well, she handed the clipboard over to Abe where he signed without looking away from her.

"She needs to rest her wrist," Koray said sternly, hoping to engrain some final medical advice into the men. "If she gets any headaches, only give her the basic painkillers, _none_ of the strong stuff. She also has a concussion, so monitor her and make sure she doesn't sleep…"

The Doctor continued rattling off further instructions regarding a sleeping and eating schedule for Rose. No one interrupted her and at first glance, she would have thought none of the men was even listening to her.

But beyond his neutral expression and stiff posture, Dimitri was taking in every single detail the Doctor said and remembering it for when they got home. He was taking into account even the smallest detail that would be potentially dangerous to Rose like any hard-core painkillers or extraneous activity.

Keeping Rose on bed rest for a day or two would be a fight in itself. She was never one to sit around idly.

Twenty minutes later, Rose was being wheeled out of the recovery ward in a wheelchair that was pushed by her younger brother. She was still feeling pretty out of it, but the notion of her returning home was making her feel significantly better. If one more doctor tried to take her blood, she was afraid she would actually have to hit one of them.

She could only play the scared of needles card so many times.

"Want me to go really fast, sis?" Alex laughed while readying himself to push his older sister across the car park.

"How about you just get me home in one piece?" she grinned over her shoulder while Abe glared at his son.

Alex shrugged. "Fine by me, but when we have to give the chair back, don't cry because I didn't push you down the ramp."

Dimitri walked slightly behind the group smiling to himself. There was so much of Alex and Rose that Dimitri saw in his own relationships with his sisters. It seemed that no matter how old they all were, they were all children at heart when they were together.

* * *

It had taken Rose three days for Dimitri to agree to do anything but cuddle her.

The break in her wrist was almost fully healed and she only wore the brace to support it for a few more days. She was also fully healed from her head injury. She had experienced some headaches and a bit of dizziness, but nothing that said she was in danger.

But none of that mattered to Dimitri. He wanted her to be fully healed before she left the house again. He monitored her healing as if he were a doctor himself. He would inspect her wrist daily and check the stitches at the back of her head.

The last thing on his mind was ensuring her physical _satisfaction_.

But three days after the injury at the club, Rose had finally managed to convince Dimitri she was _more_ than up to the task. And while he still thought Rose shouldn't be doing _anything_ that would exert her energy, but Rose was adamant she was ready to take anything he could give.

Dimitri had come to a good compromise with her in the end.

It was the middle of the Moroi day, but Rose and Dimitri had been living on a human schedule in preparation for a visit to Dimitri's family in Russia. So while they should have been asleep as the house bustled slightly with the daily traffic, Rose and Dimitri were doing anything but sleeping.

Anyone who walked too close to the closed door would be able to interpret that firsthand.

"You need to be quiet, Roza," Dimitri murmured from between her thighs, turning his head to kiss the skin of her inner thigh delicately. "If you keep screaming, I'll stop."

Rose nodded, capturing her lower lip between her teeth and trying to contain her moans and heavy panting. Dimitri reattached his lips to her sweet and hot folds with a chuckle, a chuckle that Rose felt through her entire body and made her buck off the bed.

She did everything possible to keep quiet. Her hands wrung the fabric of the bed sheet below her while her toes curled in pleasure.

The pressure between her thighs only grew greater, and soon she was arching off the bed.

From the very first moment she had touched Dimitri, she knew there was something eerily intoxicating about him. It wasn't just that he had the tongue of a devil or hands that could kill and pleasure. It was the love he put into everything he did.

No matter how dirty or perverse their sex was occasionally, it was never without love. Dimitri was dedicated to Rose's utmost happiness.

Rose's orgasm snuck up on her quickly. She pulled at the strands of Dimitri's hair while fireworks cracked in her mind and electric pulses flowed through her entire body. And despite Dimitri's warning, Rose couldn't contain her scream as she came undone around his tongue.

But he didn't appear distracted while she continued to moan; he only milked Rose for _everything_ she had. His tongue simply caressed her while he watched her limbs tremor, another loving gesture he never failed to provide.

As Rose came back to her place on earth, she felt a pleasant numbness over her entire body. She closed her eyes and hummed contently while Dimitri kissed his way back up her body.

She thought he would stop once he was hovering over her once more, but there was not one single moment where his lips left her skin. He alternated between light peppery kisses, to hard and wet ones over her body. He had managed to place his thighs under her legs, propping her pelvis up and keeping her wide.

It was a position that would make a lot of people nervous of self-conscious, but with Dimitri, Rose felt an obscene amount of serenity. She never felt like she had to hide from him, even now, when she was completely naked and bare beneath him, she didn't try to pull her legs closed or cover her breasts – she wanted him to see her.

"We should start our lives," Dimitri whispered quietly while gliding his lips over her collarbone.

Rose stiffened slightly under him, but not enough for Dimitri to notice and pull back from her. What did he mean 'start their lives'?

"Start our lives? Dimitri, we're Dhampirs – we don't get normal lives," Rose scoffed slightly, but she was still caught up the spell Dimitri had placed her under, so her response only sounded insignificant.

Dimitri thought deeply about her words even though he never let his lips falter on their task. She was right, but also so wrong at the same time.

She was right that they didn't get normal lives. But what they had was far different to what any other Dhampir could get. They could live their lives together – and that was more than enough for Dimitri.

"Why don't we get a place?" he mumbled, leaning in to place his lips softly against her throat.

Rose automatically opened her neck up to him, moaning as his lips made a trail of light kisses up to her jaw. She felt the heat between her thighs ignite again, and along with the pressure of his body against hers, Rose wanted more than just his lips and skilled tongue.

"We have a place," she breathed roughly, entirely caught up in Dimitri's ministrations.

"I mean a place of our _own_ , Roza. You know that," he chuckled into her neck. "God knows we can afford it."

Rose pushed Dimitri away by his shoulders, shocked by the seriousness of his tone. He was actually serious about this. ' _You can't live in your father's house forever_ ,' a voice scoffed inside Rose's head.

"You want to move out with me?" Rose asked with more conviction this time.

"Of course I do,' Dimitri responded, frowning slightly. "We can't live in your father's home forever, Rose."

Rose scoffed again as he spoke similarly to her own mind. But it was true. She couldn't rely on the safety or familiarity of her father's home forever. She didn't want to be a thirty-five-year-old Dhampir and still living off her father's money and luxuries.

She wanted control in her own life. She wanted that feeling of earning her own money. It would be easy for Sydney to get some fake Academic records for her, but that wasn't what worried Rose.

She had always known it would have been only a matter of time before Dimitri wanted them to venture out on their own. But sparkly rings and white dresses followed moving out, which eventually led to diapers and math homework.

She knew that life was something that Dimitri had fantasized about regularly. But it wasn't something she could give him. She couldn't give him a child that was a perfect mix between both her and him.

"I can't give you a family, Dimitri," Rose whispered, voicing her thoughts despite it not being the centre of the discussion.

The tone of her voice shocked Dimitri. He was only talking about them getting a place together, not starting a family – at least, not yet. Further, he wasn't expecting her to sound so sombre and disheartened. He sat back on his heels fully and look down at Rose curiously.

He could see the unshed tears in her eyes and knew he needed to ease her mind. He didn't want her overthinking something that they weren't up to yet.

"At the moment, I'm not even thinking that far ahead, Roza."

"You aren't?" she whispered again.

"No, milaya. You've only just turned twenty-three. I wouldn't dare push you into something that you aren't ready for."

Rose scoffed yet again, but this time it was because she was angry. He didn't understand what she was saying at all. This wasn't about her not being _ready_ to start a family. It was about her genetic inability to carry their child. They _couldn't_ have kids. Period.

"You don't get it, Dimitri," she growled, pushing herself away from him and sitting up against the bed head, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Then explain it to me, Roza," he encouraged softly. No matter how angry she got, he wouldn't be anything other than supportive. He knew this was a touchy topic.

"I can't give you all _that_. It doesn't matter if I decided tomorrow that I was ready or in five years. I'll _never_ fall pregnant. We can't have a family."

A single tear managed to escape from the outer corner of her eye and Dimitri watched it solemnly as it trailed down her flushed cheek.

Seeing her upset about something like pregnancy was scary for him. Did she really think that they weren't forever because she wouldn't be able to have his child? Rose was everything to Dimitri, and even though he had dreamed of having a family of his own ever since he was young, if it wasn't Rose who was the mother of his children – he was content in it being just the two for the rest of their days.

"Roza, you don't need to be pregnant to make me happy."

"But you _want_ a family one day, Dimitri. And it will be me standing in the way of that eventually."

Dimitri shook his head in disbelief. Surely he was hearing her wrong? But he wouldn't sit there and listen to her think she was an obstacle to him, when she was the main goal.

Dimitri leaned forward, taking her hands and pulling her into his arms, shifting her so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. She clung to him as tightly as he hugged her back.

Three days ago and for a split second, Dimitri had thought that he had lost Rose. He didn't want to _not_ progress in their lives because they didn't know what tomorrow brought.

But when he had seen Rose lying unconscious against the wall, he had realized how precious life was and how easily it all could be taken away from him. He didn't want to go another day without Rose knowing he had every intention of being with her. Heart and soul.

"Rose, there are _so_ many other options we can explore when that time comes," he smiled while stroking the back of her hair soothingly.

"Like what?" she sniffled, trying to cover up her extreme interest in these 'options'.

"Well, there is the possibility of going through donors and surrogates. But there are Dhampir orphanages that are filled with children – children that have been left there abandoned and some as orphans."

Rose didn't want to get Dimitri's hopes up by responding straight away. She hadn't even thought about all the other ways they could possibly be able to conceive a child together. Her mind turned over relentlessly as she let Dimitri's words sink in. She never needed to be scared of their future because they would take it how it came.

They would be able to handle anything that life threw at them, as long as they were in it together.

Feeling even more secure in her relationship than she had ever before, Rose leaned out to look Dimitri directly in the eyes. "I love you, Dimitri."

A blinding and handsome smile crossed over Dimitri's face. "I love you too, Roza."

"And you would love our child even if it wasn't genetically us?"

"Of course I would. The child would still be ours. _But_ , we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Dimitri whispered against her lips, laying Rose back onto the mattress before moving to suckle on the sensitive skin under her ear. "Until then, let's get a place of our own so I can _really_ make you scream."

END


End file.
